There may be an action by a player that the folks in the stands DID see that was precipitated by an action they DIDN’T see, which the referee DID see, based on his or her perspective from being on the floor with the teams and being “closer to the action.”
Part of a referee’s perspective that comes with being on the floor with the teams involves recognizing and ignoring a flop, which is an over-exaggerated move by a player that tries to make more out of a brush by another player when the other player falls out on the floor in an attempt to get a foul resulting in a free throw. Referees are trained to make calls based on how well the teams play the game and by discerning between a flop and a real foul. How well teams play the game is related to fundamentals and leveraging the diversity of strengths among the players.
Remember that the old acronym TEAM stands for: Together Everyone Achieves More. Let’s also recall that old saying that a team is only as strong as its weakest link. Finally, we know that the most successful teams are composed of people with diverse strengths that make everyone more effective in their role.
Bear in mind that not everyone is designed to play every position and that everyone’s 100% effort looks different depending on the situation they are placed in.
For example, we are in awe of Shaq’s prowess as a “big” and not for his free throw percentage of 52.7%. Yet, Shaq has FOUR (4) NBA championship rings. And it was for his performance and strengths as a “big,” a term referring to a power forward and center tasked as the team’s primary rebounder or shot blocker, with the center typically being the larger of the two positions. At 7 feet, 1 inch tall, Shaq’s strengths showed up in his skills and abilities where he WAS needed, not for where he was NOT needed.