The NBA has fined Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka $25,000 for publicly criticizing officiating, the league announced on Wednesday. The decision follows comments Udoka made during his postgame press conference on Monday, which the league said crossed its rules on public remarks about referees.
According to the NBA, the fine was issued for “public criticism of officiating,” a violation that is routinely enforced when coaches or players voice complaints in a public forum. The announcement was made by James Jones, the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations.
Udoka’s comments came after a close and controversial loss by the Rockets to the Denver Nuggets. Houston lost the game by three points in overtime, a result that left Udoka clearly frustrated with how the game was officiated in its closing moments.
While the fine reflects the league’s stance on public criticism, the NBA’s own review later gave weight to Udoka’s concerns. In its Last Two Minute report, which evaluates officiating decisions in the final two minutes of regulation and all overtime periods of close games, the league acknowledged that three key calls were missed during the final 100 seconds of overtime.
All three missed calls went in favor of Denver, which entered the game with a 19-6 record. The Rockets, who were 16-7 at the time, were on the wrong end of those decisions. According to the report, the missed calls resulted in a potential net swing of up to six points, a significant margin in a game that Houston ultimately lost by just three.
The findings confirmed that Udoka’s frustration was not without reason. However, the fine highlights the NBA’s long-standing position that concerns about officiating should be addressed through internal channels rather than through the media.
The league has consistently emphasized that public criticism of referees undermines confidence in officiating and the overall integrity of the game. As a result, even when complaints are later supported by official reviews, fines are still issued if those complaints are aired publicly.
For Udoka and the Rockets, the situation underscores a familiar tension within the NBA — balancing accountability for officiating with the league’s desire to keep criticism behind closed doors. While the Rockets received validation through the Last Two Minute report, the $25,000 fine serves as a reminder that voicing those frustrations publicly comes at a cost.
Despite the setback, Houston continues its season with one of the stronger records in the league, while the incident adds another chapter to the ongoing debate around transparency and officiating accountability in the NBA.
