Being a referee in any sport is pretty much a thankless job. If you get the call right, no one says anything but if you get the call wrong, you are guaranteed to never hear the end of it. If a bad call is made, fans love to take to social media to shame the bad call and blame it on why their team ultimately lost.
Having said all that, the NBA is looking to make its referees more accessible, with an initiative that will take place during two games next week. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, fans who use the hashtag #RefWatchParty or tag @OfficialNBARefs can get their questions answered by referees who are watching the game.
This initiative will take place during Monday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, as well as Wednesday night's game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the San Antonio Spurs.
The referees watching the game will have access to the same video review technology as the referees calling the actual games. This will allow them to make educated commentary on the fan questions related to the games.
The NBA already did this during a finals game last season and plan to do it a few more times next month.