NBA referees read mean tweets about themselves (Video)

Refs have the toughest jobs in the NBA. They’re asked to call a game that is impossible to accurately referee, taking in pressure from both a league front office that scrutinizes every call while sending them video clips of where they went terribly wrong, alongside the coaches, players and especially fans from both sides of the half-court line that all think that the zebras are out to get them.

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Also, apparently now there’s also Twitter to contend with.

Via USA Today, the National Basketball Referees Association official Twitter account (in a bit inspired by Jimmy Kimmel’s show) decided to show some refs a few of the nasty tweets sent their way:

(Actually, those were probably a few of the nicer tweets sent that account’s way.)

It’s a thankless job, and yet referees still work through it with humor and continued effort. The refs aren’t out to get you, fans, they’re out to get it right. Sometimes that means your favorite sports team might not get the free throws it earned. Maybe don’t tweet about it. Make yourself a sandwich instead, as there’s another game two nights from now, and there’s also a 50 percent chance your favorite team’s players will be working at home.

NBA referees never get those odds.

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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops