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The NBA fined Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet $50,000 on Monday for directing profanity at an official. The incident occurred with 4.3 seconds remaining in Saturday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Rockets trailed by five points when VanVleet was called for an offensive foul, sparking his frustrated reaction. He received a technical foul and was ejected. Afterward, VanVleet appeared to be mouthing words and pointing at an official. The Rockets lost the game 104-98.
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VanVleet's fine has sparked debate among NBA fans, especially compared to Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball's fine.
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"50k to curse someone out but 100k for no homo lmfao. And nothing for physical abuse to women. Okay. Got it," one fan tweeted.
"50?? Didn’t Melo get fined 100 for saying 'no homo,'" one person said.
"This league is so weird and inconsistent," another fan commented.
Some fans are surprised by the amount, noting VanVleet's near contact with the official.
"That’s it? These players got millions, some of them just gonna be like f*** it and start tombstoning refs and pay the 100k fine," one person said.
"50?? So, would it be 10k if he punched him???" Another fan wondered.
"That’s it????!!?!! Nahhhhh LMFAOOO," one person said.
LaMelo Ball was fined $100,000 for using the phrase "no homo" during a postgame interview after the Hornets' 115-114 win over the Bucks on Nov. 16.
Also read: "No homo" - LaMelo Ball's NSFW comment steals spotlight after Hornets stun Bucks in thriller
Fred VanVleet has been fined for criticizing officials before
Fred VanVleet's $50,000 fine isn't his first. During the 2022-23 season with the Raptors, he was fined $30,000 for criticizing officiating. After a Mar. 8, 2023, game against the Clippers, VanVleet openly expressed frustration with referee Ben Taylor, who gave him a technical foul in the third quarter.
VanVleet said after the game that he felt like the tech affected the game's rhythm. He also said that Taylor was "terrible" in that particular contest. The Raptors lost that game 108-100.
VanVleet had 13 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals in that game.
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