Marcus Smart: ‘I’ve felt that officials had a personal vendetta, and numerous, too’

Strolling into Celtics follow Thursday, it was clear these phrases reverberated across the league. Everybody from the gamers to assist employees and media have been speaking about it. “Did you see what Fred stated,” will need to have been uttered 20 instances. Marcus Sensible actually noticed it. No one loved it extra. When gamers are upset after a recreation, they often say, “I don’t need to get fined,” earlier than saying one thing that’s going to get them fined. VanVleet stated, “I’ll take a fantastic, I don’t actually care.” By taking that fantastic, he’s opening the door for everybody else to curse out the refs in public below the guise of pleading the VanFifth. On Thursday evening VanVleet was fined $30,000 by the NBA for his public criticism of the officiating. “I don’t know if you guys have seen Fred VanVleet’s interview, (but) that’s all I’m gonna say,” Smart said Thursday, before then saying more, of course. “Obviously, it let you know that I’m not speaking out of my butt. And I’m not the only one that feels that way. So, I’m gonna let Fred do all the talking.” -via The Athletic / March 10, 2023