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McCutchen hopes meetings with teams show refs' desire to mend relationship

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

NBA vice president of referee development and training Monty McCutchen has been meeting with every single team on behalf of officials and receiving constructive criticism from players - feedback that he promises won't fall on deaf ears.

"What I am sure of is that we are willing to do our work," McCutchen said, according to The Associated Press. "We are willing to re-examine how we can better the game that we serve, and from that perspective the players' commentary has received a reasonable ear from us. We hear you and we'll work on it."

Players have been increasingly critical of officials this season, especially given a rash of high-profile ejections earlier in the campaign and missed late-game calls, with last-two-minute reports exacerbating issues. The two sides met during All-Star weekend to hash out their differences, resulting in a new initiative to improve their relationship that includes the respect-for-the-game sessions with McCutchen.

It clearly remains a work in progress, with players and coaches regularly getting dinged for criticizing the refereeing. Over the past week alone, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans bench boss Alvin Gentry, and Detroit Pistons gaffer Stan Van Gundy were each fined $15,000 for negative comments about officiating.

McCutchen, who served as a ref for the last 25 years, believes communication is key to repairing the strained relationship that players and coaches have developed with the referees.

"... No one is asking everyone to agree, no one is asking for there not to be constructive criticism," he said. "What we are trying to achieve is the sense of how to disagree respectively, how to disagree with an empathy and understanding."

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