Mark Cuban: No Point in Complaining About Refs Because "Nothing Ever Changes"

Questionable calls by NBA refs have made headlines this week, which is something every sports league hopes to avoid.

And it's not the first time this month that the league's officiating has been a topic of conversation. 

Back on March 9th, Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet went viral for a postgame diatribe directed primarily toward referee Ben Taylor. Following a 108-100 loss to the Clippers, VanVleet vehemently voiced his frustration despite the financial penalty he knew would result. 

"I'll take a fine. I don't really care," VanVleet declared. "I thought Ben Taylor was f------ terrible tonight. On most nights, a couple out of the three [referees], there's one or two that just f--- the game up. It's been like that a couple games in a row … You come out tonight, competing pretty hard. [In] the third quarter, I get a bulls--- tech, changed the whole dynamic of the game, changed the whole flow of the game."

VanVleet continued: "Most of the refs are trying hard. I like a lot of the refs. They're trying hard, they're pretty fair, and they communicate well. And then you got the other ones who just want to be d---s, and it just kind of f---s the game up. Nobody's coming to see that s---. They want to see the players. I think we're losing a bit of the fabric of what the NBA is and was, and it's been disappointing this season… That's not why we lost tonight, we got outplayed, but it definitely makes it tougher to overcome."

The NBA hit VanVleet with a $30,000 fine the next day. Speaking with reporters after the fine was announced, FVV said he was "speaking for a lot of guys" and that "a lot of people that feel that way… Hopefully going forward we see some change for the better, the betterment of the game. It was a little emotional, a tough loss, things not going our way, got caught up in the moment a little bit."

Several players league-wide, including Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, quickly came out in support of VanVleet. 

On Wednesday, Hawks point guard Trae Young took to social media to voice his frustration after the refs botched a call late in Atlanta's loss to the Timberwolves.

On the play in question, Atlanta was trailing by a point in the final seconds when Hawks forward Saddiq Bey missed a putback attempt as time expired, but was grabbed by Wolves wing Taurean Prince. However, the referees did not call a foul on Prince, allowing Minnesota to escape with a 125-124 victory. 

Ironically, Ben Taylor was the crew chief for the Hawks-Wolves game. In comments to a pool reporter after the game, Taylor admitted that Prince should have been called for a foul, which would have sent Bey to the line with a chance to win the game for Atlanta.

Late Wednesday night, Young posted a photo of the pool report as an Instagram story and commented, "We don't care now," adding, "this goes back to my statement I said at the beginning of the year, refs should be held more accountable ($, suspensions, etc.) just like us. They shouldn't get 'We missed it' passes."

The statement Young was referring to is from a Tweet he made in September.

However, that non-foul call wasn't the most controversial situation in the Association that evening. 

In Dallas' 127-125 loss to the Warriors on Wednesday, Golden State center Kevon Looney had an uncontested dunk off an inbounds play with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.

The Mavericks believed they had possession of the ball coming out of a timeout and were getting ready to inbound it on the opposite end of the court, allowing Looney the easy bucket. 

Mavs team governor Mark Cuban took to Twitter after the game to provide some clarity. 

"For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened," Cuban wrote. "The ref called Mavs ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the time out, the official changed the call and never told us. Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. Never said a word to us. They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2 point game. Worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA . All they had to do was tell us and they didn't."

Cuban then posted a video of the sequence, and stated: "Only two refs were on that side of the court and we had 2 guys at half court going to in bound. The other ref obviously thought it was our ball as well."

Mark Cuban @mcuban

Only two refs were on that side of the court and we had 2 guys at half court going to in bound. The other ref obviously thought it was our ball as well.

Mark Cuban @mcuban

For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened. The ref called Mavs ball . The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout . During the time out the official changed the call and never told us. Then when they saw us line up as… https://t.co/t5sQEaRTc3

I had a chance to chat with Cuban on Thursday evening, and he expounded upon what he feels is substandard management, training and oversight of referees by higher-ups.

Cuban also noted that although he has toned down his public criticism of officials in recent years (leading to far few fines and run-ins with NBA's league office), it's not because he feels the refereeing has improved. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

Cuban said he no longer complained about in-game officiating because it didn't deliver the desired results. 

"The last three years, I didn't think there was any point in getting fined," Cuban told What's on Tap.

"Nothing ever changes," Cuban concluded. 

Cuban did confirm previously published reports that the Mavs plan to file a protest of their loss to the Warriors, but as of Thursday evening, the team had not officially filed the paperwork. 

Dallas has 48 hours from the end of the game to formally protest the defeat. After the league office receives the protest, Golden State and Dallas will have five days to file supportive evidence. Commissioner Adam Silver will then have five days to make a definitive ruling based on the evidence submitted. 

Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images

Filing the protest will cost the Mavs $10,000. That fee will be refunded if the outcome of the contest is reversed. 

Either way, the controversy surrounding officiating in the NBA likely won't go away anytime soon. However, the league is surely hoping there aren't additional headline-generating missteps involving refs over the next two weeks, as playoff/play-in seeding is determined, and, most importantly, not during the postseason, when the NBA generates the most attention it receives all year. 

I reached out to the NBA league office for a response Thursday night but did not immediately hear back.