The Toronto Raptors’ Fred VanVleet was fined $30,000 by the authority following his rant against the officials after the game against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 8 at Crypto.com Arena.
The guard publicly criticized the referee, Ben Taylor, for his ineffective officiating in that game, where Ben gave Fred three technical fouls and cost the game for the Raptors. The referee faced enormous controversy and criticism, which were fueled by continuous ineffective officiating so far this season.
Fred VanVleet went OFF on referee Ben Taylor and NBA reffing in general in his post-game after the Raptors loss. Haven't heard anything like this. pic.twitter.com/VcMkGTh0k3
— Faizal Khamisa (@FaizalKhamisa) March 9, 2023
However, after the dust settled, the authority appeared to take steps against the referee, but the controversy arose again after the referees association claimed that no step was necessary.
What did the NBA do after fining Fred VanVleet?
On March 22, the NBA Central, a platform related to NBA news, claimed the authority had demoted the referee after the 29-year-old’s NSFW accusations.
The NBA has recently demoted Ben Taylor in his assignments, per @tomhaberstroh
(Via @FAN590) pic.twitter.com/52DuNiGBGj
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 22, 2023
However, the NBA referees’ association claims no such action has been taken and stated, “This is categorically false. The schedule for the games referenced was released weeks in advance. Ben Taylor is a Part-Time Crew Chief who is frequently assigned as a Referee throughout the season. His positional assignments remained unchanged.”
This is categorically false. The schedule for the games referenced was released weeks in advance. Ben Taylor is a Part Time Crew Chief and frequently receives Referee assignments throughout the season. His positional assignments remained unchanged. https://t.co/BxRr7yY2k0
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) March 24, 2023
The conflicting acclaim left the NBA community perplexed and raised the question of the consequences of poor officiating performance. As VanVleet claimed, the referee’s decisions can really spoil the game or nudge the outcome to one side eventually.
This is not the first-time players have called out referees for their miscalls or no calls; previously, Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James confronted head-on one of the incidents, and eventually, the referees’ association expressed their utmost apology.
However, the scenario doesn’t seem to be changing at all, and these types of demonstrations affect the morale of athletes and fans alike. The game is to be enjoyed by the players and fans, and the referees should have no contribution other than to help the game run its course.
What’s your opinion on the referees’ recent decisions? Do you agree with Fred VanVleet? Leave your opinion in the comment section with us.
