The officiating in the NBA has long been a point of contention. And on Wednesday night, there could very well be wholesale changes to come with how referees manage the game after Fred VanVleet not only put them on blast with an all-time great tirade after the Toronto Raptors' 108-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, but he also went in on one specific referee essentially making it a blood feud.
The referee that got caught in VanVleet's crosshairs was Ben Taylor, which is no surprise after the official decided to call a technical foul on the Raptors guard for telling his teammates that they have to play through the “bulls–t”. Perhaps Taylor was offended and thought VanVleet pertained to his officiating with the bulls–t remark.
"I'll take a fine. I don't really care. I thought Ben Taylor was f**king terrible today. On most nights, out of the 3, there's 1 or 2 that just f**k the game up. it's been like that a couple games in a row…"
Fred VanVleet on the officiating tonight 😳pic.twitter.com/uzWgII6uJd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2023
Fred VanVleet makes a valid point. Refs are starting to dictate the outcome of more games year over year. But this year it's gotten out of hand. https://t.co/KjzR4mebz1
— stepbackqueen4 (@stepbackqueen4) March 9, 2023
holy shit I love Fred VanVleet
— REN (@SkyloThe_) March 9, 2023
Lol Fred VanVleet my new favorite player 😂😂
— Dank Sinattra ♉️ (@atcByrd) March 9, 2023
Tribalism has long been a part of NBA fandom. But it seems like the Raptors guard's vendetta against the referees will manage to create a strong, united front against a common enemy: poor officiating.
I am team VanVleet these refs think they are untouchable. Fck em.
— K.P. Smith (@IAMKPSmith) March 9, 2023
Standing ovation for Fred VanVleet.
No one pays to watch these refs! https://t.co/QhOGwHM7Yf— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) March 9, 2023
Good for Fred vanvleet. Someone had to say it
— drew capalot (HP August 2nd) (@PoloGstan1300) March 9, 2023
Even some fans couldn't help but poke fun at the fact that the Fred VanVleet-Ben Taylor beef is shaping up to be one of the more interesting storylines this season – just in time for the build to Wrestlemania on April 2!
The build to Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes vs. Ben Taylor and Scott Foster at WrestleMania has been tremendous.
— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) March 9, 2023
While VanVleet has now earned the immortal distinction of lovable cult hero with his comments on officiating, some couldn't help but worry about how his bank account would look like after the league is done punishing him for his honesty.
Rockford native Fred VanVleet about to pay a fine about the size of Winnebago County https://t.co/GYM70sgDIv
— Andy Carrigan (@AndyCarriganRRS) March 9, 2023
Wow. Freddie VanVleet let's it fly post game regarding NBA refereeing. Probably see a big fine, but it had to be said.
— Doug Cheetham (@dougcheetham1) March 9, 2023
The sad thing about what VanVleet said is he's going to get a big fine probably even a suspension, and the refs will just continue to do their job with no consequences for bad officiating.
— Ryan Koosman (@thebigkooz) March 9, 2023
Fred VanVleet and the Raptors indeed found themselves in a dogfight with the Clippers on Wednesday night; with the playoff race heating up, no one should expect anything less from either team. The Raptors, in particular, remain in a precarious position, as they fall to 32-35 following that loss.
Thus, it's no surprise that VanVleet exploded in this manner out of frustration, as every win matters for them at the moment.