NBA referee James Williams went viral on Friday night after bizarrely referring to Nikola Jokic as ‘The Joker’ during an on-court announcement.
At the end of the first quarter of Denver’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Williams was delivering the verdict of a review following an altercation between Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when he bizarrely used each player’s nickname.
‘After review, it has been determined that after the whistle blew the contact by The Joker is marginal and does not rise to the level of unsportsmanlike,’ the official said, drawing huge jeers from the Oklahoma crowd.
‘SGA throws the ball, that is an unsporting-like act. It’s a technical foul on SGA.’
Williams’ use of nicknames, particularly Jokic’s Batman-inspired moniker, did not go down well with a number of fans on social media, who accused him of lacking professionalism.
‘This is pathetic and unprofessional,’ one user fumed. ‘This can’t be allowed. He sounds like he wants an autograph.’
NBA referee James Williams went viral on Friday night after bizarrely using players’ nicknames
Williams referred to Nikola Jokic (right) as ‘The Joker’ during an on-court announcement
Another put: ‘I thought refs aren’t supposed to be fans like wtf’.
‘This is so corny ngl keep it professional man this s*** really scripted,’ said a third.
‘This is a terrible look,’ wrote a fourth.
While one went as far to say: ‘This genuinely filled me with rage’.
Others, however, saw the funnier side of Williams’ creative approach on the mic.
One commented: ‘The Joker and SGA. This man knows ball.’
While another said: ‘Love it. All players shall henceforth be referred to by their nicknames upon official reviews.’
After receiving the technical foul, Gilgeous-Alexander went on to have the last laugh over Jokic after inspiring the Thunder to a 127-121 win on the night.
The reigning NBA champions lead the Western Conference after winning 46 of their first 61 games of the season.