Do NBA referees get fined? Consequences for wrong decisions explored

NBA referees faced criticism from Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, who spoke his mind after the loss to the LA Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday (131-132). Rajakovic called out the officials for their decisions in the fourth quarter and the criteria under which they were called a foul.

The Raptors went to the free throw line just twice in the fourth quarter, whereas the Lakers did 23 times. Darko Rajakovic pointed at it as one of the main reasons for the defeat.

"They had to win tonight. If this is it, let us know so we don't show up. This was not fair tonight. No. There's no explanation. They come out there, they review it, and see what they want to see. They don't want to hear us or to hear the players," Darko Rajakovic said, via Fadeaway World.

With that in mind, the question is whether NBA referees get any sanctions for the mistakes they make during a game and if they get fined for that.

Do NBA referees get fined for the mistakes they make during games?

It appears that the league and the referees committee sanction the referees if they make a mistake during a game. The sanction depends on how crucial the mistake is, when it happened and how it affected the game.

Referees have the opportunity to reverse their decisions through the instant replay and usually review their decisions, especially in crunch time. However, their performance is under evaluation after each NBA game and their sanction varies from getting fined to getting suspended.

Referees can get suspended if they miss crucial calls in a game or if their calls significantly affect who will win the game. Similarly, they can get a light or heavy fine for their mistakes.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed this situation late in the 2022-23 season and admitted that referees do get sanctioned. Yet, Silver made it clear that the league considers it 'inappropriate' to make the sanctions public.

"We don't publicize discipline for officials. We don't think it is appropriate. Their assignments are affected by the quality of their calls, whether or not they progress into the playoffs and then round by round is impacted by the accuracy of their calls and their demeanor on the floor," Adam Silver told ESPN last February.

"There is a system for overseeing and making those judgements about officials. But more to your earlier point about getting the calls right, this is not a new issue."

It is still unclear if referees will be sanctioned for their decisions in the fourth quarter of the game between the Raptors and Lakers. Darko Rajakovic, though, is expected to get fined for his post-game comments.