What did Trae Young say about the referees after the Atlanta Hawks narrowly lost on a late-game missed call?

Trae Young called out the quality of NBA referees after the Atlanta Hawks lost 125-124 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

With less than five minutes remaining in the game, Young received minimal contact from Jaden McDaniels and went to the ground. His theatrics won him the call, and the Timberwolves maintained their lead until the final whistle. Karl-Anthony Townes sunk the final free throws.

While Young was accused of theatrics by fans on social media, he appeared to sing a different tune on Instagram. Young said that referees, who have been criticized by players and fans alike for months, should be held accountable for their mistakes:

“Refs should be held more accountable ($, suspensions, etc.) just like us. They shouldn't get 'We missed it' passes.'”

The 23-year old superstar had an impressive game with 29 points and eight assists. Although Young had a poor night from inside the 3-point arc, he converted 3 of his 4 long-range attempts.

Trae Young wants referees to be punished for wrong calls

While the Atlanta Hawks superstar might have been accused of trying to trick the referee, some critics criticized him instead. Minnesota Timberwolves analyst Jim Peterson called him a “flopper.”

"Trae Young's a flopper ... he's a stop-short guy, who's a flopper," said Peterson, a former NBA player and WNBA assistant coach.

While Young might have been guilty, it is the referee’s responsibility to call fouls correctly. Players try to make the most of particular situations, a trend that is seen in other sports as well. However, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, referees are punished for wrong calls although those punishments might not be publicized:

"We don't publicize discipline for officials. We don't think that will be appropriate. But 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."

Hence, while there are punishments and fines that referees are liable for when they make wrong calls, these details are not always made available to the public. Silver said that errant calls are not a new issue for the NBA and such criticism comes up regularly.