# The NBA Whistle Ric Wants Abolished — And Why Lu Dort Isn’t the Real Problem

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-the-ball-with-ric-bucher-711886/the-nba-whistle-ric-wants-abolished-and-why-lu-dort-isn-t-the-real-problem
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-the-ball-with-ric-bucher-711886/the-nba-whistle-ric-wants-abolished-and-why-lu-dort-isn-t-the-real-problem.md
Podcast: [On The Ball with Ric Bucher](https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-the-ball-with-ric-bucher-711886)
Published: 2026-03-19T07:49:08+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/bucher-and-friends/episodes/the-nba-whistle-ric-wants-abolished-and-why-lu-dort-isnt-the
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/f66edc52-c9ac-4e17-bf90-6f1121579b75/e/69bbaa74a1476488b798f2c2/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/on-the-ball-with-ric-bucher-711886/episodes/the-nba-whistle-ric-wants-abolished-and-why-lu-dort-isn-t-the-real-problem
Duration seconds: 1896

## Resource

On this episode of On The Ball with Ric Bucher , Ric dives into two things he’d love to see abolished from today’s NBA: the whistle-hunting blocking foul and the blind loyalty that turns every fan debate into tribal warfare. Ric opens by saluting the WNBA players’ new CBA breakthrough , explaining why tying salaries to gross revenue instead of net revenue could be a game-changing template for all pro athletes. From there, he pulls back the curtain on how NBA officiating really works , drawing on his own experience trying out as an original D-League referee and explaining why fans who scream “just follow the rule book” don’t understand how much of basketball officiating is built on interpretation. Then Ric zeroes in on one of the most frustrating calls in today’s game: the offensive player who barrels into a defender, flails, and gets rewarded with free throws . He argues it’s not basketball — it’s a trick. He also takes on the growing outrage culture around physical defenders like Lu Dort and Draymond Green , making the case that there’s a huge difference between playing with an edge and crossing the line. Finally, Ric tackles the bigger issue underneath it all: fan tribalism, media hypocrisy, and the death of nuance . Why do fans defend behavior from their own stars that they’d condemn from anyone else? Why has “you’re a hater” become the laziest argument in sports? And what does all of this say about the NBA, its media ecosystem, and us? This is a classic Ric Bucher deep dive — smart, pointed, and unafraid to challenge the league, the players, the media, and the fans. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro, sponsor mention, and Ric’s new book on coachability 02:44 Why the WNBA’s new CBA is a major win for players 04:24 The two things Ric wants abolished from today’s NBA 05:16 Why N…

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## Transcript

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