Golden State Warriors fans know all too well that star guard Stephen Curry does not always get the benefit of the whistle. It seems that the foul calls that other stars get do not get applied to him, and there was more evidence of that on Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
During the game, Warriors center Al Horford, who was one of the few bright spots in what ended up being a blowout loss, was called for a ticky-tack foul against Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Horford was livid, as was head coach Steve Kerr and many on the Golden State bench.
Warriors star Stephen Curry does not get the same calls as SGA
There really was not much there, and Warriors fans couldn't help but think about how rarely Curry gets those sorts of calls. Videos on social media regularly show how often Curry doesn't get calls even when obviously fouled, with this going on his entire career which makes it just to be expected at this point.
Still, it's hard not to get frustrated when it seems like other players like Gilgeous-Alexander or LeBron James get every single borderline call simply because they’re stars. That’s not to take away from what Gilgeous-Alexander does because he's extraordinarily talented and building as a great of the game, but one can at least understand how he got the “foul merchant” label.
Obviously that call against the Warriors on Friday night didn't matter as the hosts were undermanned going against the best team in the NBA. They stood no chance after resting their stars in Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, having decided they were a better shot of winning Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz with those guys on the floor.
But let’s imagine a future where the Warriors and Thunder are facing off in the playoffs. With the Warriors seeming more and more likely to be a Play-In team each and every game, it would not be a huge shock if the two teams ended up squaring off in the first-round.
While the Thunder would certainly be favored, the Warriors would still give themselves a sneaky chance. If Curry is healthy there is always a chance the 2x MVP could go off and carry the team on his back. But if Gilgeous-Alexander gets a borderline foul call at an important moment in a playoff game, Warriors fans will have every reason to be upset as the guy is good enough without the referees assistance.
Curry not getting calls is as accepted as Green's technical fouls by this point, meaning it probably won't change anytime soon. That doesn't take away from the frustration of this double standard, and the fact other stars around the league get calls that Curry is not usually the beneficiary of.