Why I frequently hate watching the NBA

I've only started watching since the start of the 4th quarter, but I've already witnessed the LA Lakers manhandle the Suns for two separate non-calls, and then hurl themselves at the Suns defenders on the other side of the court.  Leandro Barbosa had a layup blocked, but was also clobbered in the neck by Lamar Odom, and got knocked to the ground with enough force that he landed in the photographer row six feet back from the baseline, and is currently bleeding profusely from his skull from the impact.  No foul call.

Meanwhile, Gasol is getting to the free throw line whenever someone in an orange jersey breathes in his direction.  Kobe Bryant just now drew Jared Dudley's 5th foul with his signature move:  Turn your body sideways, cradle the ball against your stomach with both arms, and twist your lead shoulder into your defender's chest like a corkscrew until one of the refs blows a whistle.  AND AGAIN Gasol drew a shooting foul literally without any actual body contact from a Suns player.  Stoudemire kind of jumped behind him, and the whistle blew.  This is around 4 minutes left in the 4th, if you want to check a replay.

The league's star teams just get far too many calls in their home arena.  Officiating is so egregiously subjective and uneven that every time I try to get sucked into a basketball game I end up turning it off in disgust and ignoring the league for another week.

FYI the league's worst offender is Rajon Rondo.  He scores at least 10 points a game by sprinting with the ball full speed directly into the nearest defender and jumping into his chest.  The defender either has to continue playing the game of basketball by accepting the leap and getting whistled for the foul while Rondo's foot is busy making prints on the guy's jersey, or bail out of the way to avoid the cheap call and let Rondo have his layup.  And now in 2010 he's added a new move:  When the Celtics are already in their halfcourt set and the direct charge strategy won't work, Rondo will run into the paint, carry the ball for two and a half steps while faking a pass, take a third step, and then jump off for a layup or 5-foot jumper.

Kobe's shoulder corkscrew is a close second, but only because 15% of the time he doesn't get the call, so he shoots an off balance fadeaway jumper anyway instead of bitching to the refs (and usually makes it).