Typically, the NFL is known for stifling players’ emotional expressions on the field, but the NBA mirrored this approach on Monday night, much to Reggie Miller’s disappointment. A rare Monday night doubleheader aired on TNT during the NCAA Tournament, featuring Reggie Miller alongside Kevin Harlan courtside to comment on the Houston Rockets’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the match, Rockets forward Tari Eason executed a dunk over Dorian Finney-Smith and turned to hype his bench. Unfortunately, referee Tre Maddox deemed this show of enthusiasm worthy of a technical foul, which prompted a rare direct criticism from Reggie Miller. “Oh come on! Come on man. You knew how I was going to react on that. Are you kidding me? Come on Tre Maddox, you’re better than that,” Miller exclaimed. “This is the NBA. I could see it in college, high school, stop it. Come on man.”
Reggie Miller unloads on referee Tre Maddox for calling a tech on Tari Eason for daring to show emotion pic.twitter.com/nQSK4PAlZ3
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) April 1, 2025
The Lakers have developed a reputation for enjoying a significant free-throw advantage over the past few seasons. It’s hopefully not the beginning of a trend reminiscent of the questionable calls that seemed to favor the Kansas City Chiefs last season. Kudos to Reggie Miller for addressing such an absurd technical foul; the NBA is fortunate he didn’t go full Tommy Heinsohn on this one.
