Apparent Racial Bias by NBA Referees

A New York Times article featured an academic study of racial bias within the NBA. According to an upcoming paper by academics from University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, white referees are more likely to call fouls on black players as black referees are on white players.

If this is indeed true, I don't think we should take it against the referees on this. From the same article, experts stated that this may well be driven subconsciously and that it might be more surprising if the bias didn't exist. I think that is a very sensible statement.

I've read through the article twice and it seems to me that the study was performed as meticulously as possible, given the information available (the NBA refused to release the record of which specific calls were made by specific referees).

As for what experts have to say, the independent experts consulted by Times considered the study "far more sound" than another one which was released by the NBA (and which says that there is no bias). Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt also seems unable to "find and mistakes" and suggests that the results of the study are consistent with other research findings. Read his blog about it by clicking here.