NBA Fines Fred VanVleet Massive Amount for Refs Rant After Clippers vs. Raptors
The NBA released a statement on Thursday night that read, "Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has been fined $30,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. VanVleet made his comments to the media following the Raptors' 108-100 loss to the LA Clippers on Mar. 8 at Crypto.com Arena."
VanVleet blasted the officials after Wednesday night's game in a NSFW rant, but also apologized before receiving the fine. In his apology that was posted by Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, VanVleet said, "I was a little emotional. Tough loss and things not going our way, so I got caught up in the moment... I'm human. You'll see me make mistakes in real time. A little unprofessional for my standard. It's unfortunate, but it happened. You live and learn."
VanVleet added, "I know the refs are trying their best... We're gonna disagree at times. I think there are healthier ways to do it than what transpired last night. I take full accountability for my actions and what I said, but I think it's a learning lesson for everybody."
His apology did not save him from getting fined, as VanVleet was hit with a massive $30,000 fine. He expressed in his initial rant that he was not worried about getting fined, and he certainly meant it, going off in a profanity-laced rant that included individually calling out official Ben Taylor.
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