"Fabrication of judgment?"' Basketball against Japan and France 'Oscim Controversy'The world also pays attention to the noisy victory in France

Jul 31, 2024

 'Fabrication of judgment?'' Basketball against Japan and France 'Oscim Controversy'The world also pays attention to the noisy victory in France
Paris 2024 Olympics - Basketball - Men's Group Phase - Group B - Japan vs France - Lille, Pierre Mauroy Stadium, Villeneve-d'Ascq, France - July 30, 2024. Matthew Strazel of France action against Yuta Watanabe of Japan and Yuki Kawamura of Japan REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

A rare misjudgment incident occurred in men's basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics, causing a stir.

In particular, the controversy is expected to grow, with media and basketball fans from around the world sending suspicious eyes as it is the host country France that has benefited from the decision in question.

The controversy over the misjudgment occurred in the morning of the 31st (Korea time) between France and Japan in the second Group B match of the men's basketball league at the Paris Olympics at Pierre Morua Stadium in Paris, France.

France entered the final attack attempt 16 seconds before the end, when they were trailing 80-84. 10.2 seconds before the end, Matthew Strazel made a 3-pointer on the outskirts of left-center and even got a basket count.

It was decided that Japan's Yuki Kawamura, who was defending Strasel, fouled. France, which entered overtime with an additional free throw success, eventually won 94-90 to secure its second consecutive win and advance to the quarterfinals. Japan, which has lost two group games, is in a position to see if it can be ranked in the top eight in the composite rankings after winning the last qualifying match against Brazil.

 'Fabrication of judgment?'' Basketball against Japan and France 'Oscim Controversy'The world also pays attention to the noisy victory in France
France's Matthew Strazel celebrates after France defeated Japan in a men's basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)<저작권자(c) Yonhap News, 무단 전재-재배포, AI 학습 및 활용 금지>
 'Fabrication of judgment?'' Basketball against Japan and France 'Oscim Controversy'The world also pays attention to the noisy victory in France
Paris 2024 Olympics - Basketball - Men's Group Phase - Group B - Japan vs France - Lille, Pierre Mauroy Stadium, Villeneve-d'Ascq, France - July 30, 2024. Victor Wembanyama of France and Yuki Kawamura of Japan react REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein REFILE CORRECTING ID TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
However, Kawamura's decision at the time of his foul, which was the decisive blow of the game, caused a huge stir. This is because if you look at the slow screen of the game video, even those who are not familiar with basketball can easily see that Kawamura did not make any contact or make any foul play during Strasel's shot motion.

Cyber comment attacks against the referee and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) are spreading, along with suspicions that the opponent is France, the host country.

It goes without saying that the controversy over the misjudgment has enraged Japanese fans and the media all at once. On the 31st, Japanese media emphasized that Japan suffered an unfair defeat by using modifiers such as 'the misjudgment incident of the century'.

As a result, Japanese basketball fans are venting their anger through the comment section of related articles. Not only Japanese fans but also global public opinion responded that they could not understand expressions such as 'judgment manipulation' without hesitation.

 'Fabrication of judgment?'' Basketball against Japan and France 'Oscim Controversy'The world also pays attention to the noisy victory in France
France's #10 Evan Fournier goes to the basket past Japan's #24 Josh Hawkinson in the men's preliminary round group B basketball match between Japan and France during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
The personal SNS account of Mexican referee Blanca Cecilia Burns, who even ruled in question, was virtually devastated. Foreign media reported that she has been criticized for all kinds of criticism and even racist remarks against women. Judge Burns was the first Mexican to debut as an NBA female referee in 2022, but the decision has made him a "public enemy".

Other foreign media are also defending the injustice of Japan. The European basketball media outlet 'Basket News" did not commit a foul with the breaking news that"this was really a foul.", "The referee did not see the scene accurately"Kawamura and the Japanese national team coach responded.

The U.S. media 'Sports Illustrated' used videos and photos of the scene in question to verify it, pointing out that the whistle that raised a big question'France won with great assistance from the referee at the end.

Trevor Lane, a renowned NBA journalist in the U.S., also blasted Rui Hachimura on his SNS (X) decision to leave the U-Foul, saying, `It's a normal foul, but it's a terrible decision to even do a video review.'



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