Fred VanVleet seems to be the calm voice of reason in the Houston Rockets locker room. However, even his temper can get the best of him on the court. Unfortunately, he recently lost his cool and hurled abusive language at officials near the end of the second game of a back-to-back clash against the Portland Trail Blazers. After this incident, VanVleet was fined $50,000.
The NBA has fined Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet $50,000 for his profane outbursts directed at the refs upon being thrown out the game.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 25, 2024
Rockets Guard Fred Vanvleet Receives a $50,000 Fine after Cursing at Officials
It was a one-possession game with 16.6 seconds on the clock, and Houston trusted VanVleet with the game-tying play. Toumani Camara of the Portland Trail Blazers was covering him full court. Running down the court searching for a foul, VanVleet felt some contact and tossed a heave toward the basket that had no chance of going in. The game was over for the Rockets when the foul was not called.
This was WILD. Fred VanVleet had smoke for ALL 3 REFS 😭
1. “You suck”
2. “You fucking suck”
3. “And you suck b*tch ass n*gga. Hey you a b*tch. You a b*tch” https://t.co/A9PAZVwQ2d pic.twitter.com/JLhkCZeUdA
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) November 24, 2024
In the following Rockets possession following a helpless timeout, Fred clearly showed his frustration and shoved Camara to the ground before the ball was even inbounded. After the officials stopped the play, Fred approached every official and hurled abusive language, saying phrases like “You’re a bit**” and “You s*ck.” Consequently, he was immediately ejected from the game.
Fred VanVleet’s Fine and the Precedent of Similar Fines
VanVleet has a history of being vocal about bad officiating. But when he did that in a post-game press conference, matters only escalated to a $30,000 fine for the then-Toronto Raptors guard. In similar circumstances as the Rockets game, Kelly Oubre Jr suffered different consequences. When the 76ers lost to the Clippers in March 2024, Oubre and Nick Nurse confronted the officials to their face. He hurled similar obscene phrases at the officials like Vanvleet. The NBA’s verdict was to hit Kelly Oubre Jr and Nick Nurse with a $50,000 fine. VanVleet’s incident and $50,000 fine mirror Oubre’s.
“You’re a bitch. You’re a bitch. You’re a bitch.”
Kelly Oubre let the refs know he really feels @BarstoolPhilly
pic.twitter.com/asX5WhNNXn— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 28, 2024
What does this mean for the Rockets?
Despite the defeat to Portland, the Rockets are currently the third seed in the West. Only behind the Warriors and OKC Thunder, the Rockets would like to remain at full strength to continue this form. While VanVleet was fined he is lucky to avoid, a suspension.
Fred joined the Rockets to be a veteran locker-room presence and the starting point guard. A leader who knows how to win a championship. However, he has struggled to provide consistency to the Houston backcourt himself. In the 17 games he has played this season, all his statistical figures show a decline he is averaging 14.5 points, and 6.3 assists on 39.4 shooting percent from the field compared to last season where he averaged 17.4 points, and 8.1 assists on 41.6 percent from the field.
Even in this game, it was his own bad decisions that cost the Rockets the game. We know Ime Udoka to have always been a disciplinarian. If VanVleet’s presence is doing more harm than good, maybe it’s time the Rockets increase Reed Sheppard or Amen Thompson‘s minutes instead of him? While Ime Udoka is molding Amen Thompson into a power forward, the Overtime alum is originally a point guard. His performance this season warrants consideration for him into the starting lineup. Maybe it’s time to make that tough decision with Fred VanVleet.
