Japan’s Men's Basketball Team Points Out "Two Controversial Calls" in Close Loss to France at Paris Olympics: "The Tragedy of Lille"

Japan's men's basketball team narrowly lost to France, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalists, in overtime, 90-94, in their second Group B game of the preliminary round at the Paris Olympics on the 30th (31st Japan time) in Lille. Two controversial calls during the game have sparked debate on social media.

Ejected for Two Unsportsmanlike Fouls

The first incident occurred with 8:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, with Japan trailing by two points. Star player Rui Hachimura (26), of the Lakers, was ejected after being called for his second unsportsmanlike foul of the game.

This type of foul is called when a player makes contact with an opponent in a manner deemed unsportsmanlike and not in the spirit of fair play. Unlike regular fouls, which result in ejection after five occurrences, two unsportsmanlike fouls lead to an immediate ejection. Hachimura left the court after he was judged to have held the arm of an opposing player attempting a shot, despite the contact appearing minimal. International basketball sites criticized the call as "one of the softest we've ever seen," "ridiculous," and accused the referees of favoring France. Japanese fans also took to social media, questioning the unsportsmanlike foul call and demanding the referees be held accountable.

However, some defended the referees, saying the judgment was within the rules.

"No Contact" Controversy

The second, more contentious call occurred with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and Japan leading by four points. Yuki Kawamura (23) of Yokohama BC was called for a foul while attempting to block a three-point shot. The shot went in, and the subsequent free throw tied the game, leading to overtime where Japan was ultimately defeated.

Images and videos of Kawamura's block spread on social media, with Sports Illustrated (online edition) analyzing that "Kawamura did not appear to make contact," and sarcastically noting that "France received significant help from the referees in the end."

Social media erupted with demands for explanations of the call, with comments such as "Please provide a reasonable explanation," and "The referees don't know the rules of basketball." Some posts called for the introduction of AI refereeing to ensure fair play. The players' efforts were praised, with some dubbing the event the "Tragedy of Lille," referencing the location of the game.

Despite two consecutive losses, Japan still has a chance to advance to the final eight if they defeat Brazil in their final preliminary round game on August 2 at 11:00 AM (6:00 PM Japan time). Encouragements on social media included, "Let's turn this into the 'Joy of Lille.'"