ESPN NBA commentator Jeff Van Gundy has spent much of this season, as well as the playoffs, railing against the league’s officiating. During the first half of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, he was at it again.
Denver’s Jamal Murray was driving for a layup and was fouled by D’Angelo Russell. Murray fell to the ground on contact.
The play was initially ruled a common foul, but a review for a potential flagrant was quickly announced.
That triggered Van Gundy, saying “This is the overreaction to me, to every time somebody falls down now. That’s why guys exaggerate and embellish their falls. Because they’re always trying to entice a review.”
Van Gundy commentary is insane #LALvsDEN pic.twitter.com/9EzCAinQK4
— Koro (@smokinlifeboats) May 19, 2023
Not long after that, the announcement came in. Russell was being hit with a flagrant foul.
Mark Jackson was clearly annoyed, quickly asking, “What happened to the game I love?”
Van Gundy took it from there.
“This league astounds me. What do we want D’Angelo Russell to do? Get out of the way?” he said.
And when Mike Breen said that the foul was due to Russell winding up, Van Gundy said, “What wind up?”
Jackson had Van Gundy’s back, saying, “There’s always a windup if you’re trying to block a shot or disrupt it.”
An agreeing Van Gundy then proclaimed “You can’t do it with a stiff arm.”
The latest Jeff Van Gundy rant on NBA officiating.
"This league astounds me! What do we want D'Angelo Russell to do? Get out of the way?"- JVG
"I'm just saying the reason they called it is the wind-up."- Mike Breen
"What wind-up?!"- JVG
???️? https://t.co/9AiDvfA8N0 pic.twitter.com/VVWPcREHPd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 19, 2023
This resembled similar rants this season.
"Mike, you're going to think this is too boastful: I think I could be a top half of ref within two years." – Jeff Van Gundy
"I'll give you four years, but I'm impressed. I'm very impressed."- Mike Breen???️? pic.twitter.com/8uGw20rxAj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 30, 2023
"What are you supposed to do if a guy puts a ball in your face? You're supposed to just stand there? I think these referees get the double-technical all wrong. They don't look for the guy who initiates and instigates. They take the path of least resistance."- Jeff Van Gundy ??️ pic.twitter.com/CtbyNF4Dpq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 13, 2023
Van Gundy’s latest rant was well-received.
Good rant on National TV. https://t.co/l5Aql2fhlQ
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) May 19, 2023
JVG 100% spot on https://t.co/txkg4DZXuD
— Nick Juskewycz (Sked) (@NickJuskewycz) May 19, 2023
100% agree with Mike, Mark and Jeff —> https://t.co/PlSwjCrpYf
— Jeremy Schilling (@jschil) May 19, 2023
JVG is a nut but I absolutely agree with him on this. Refs acting like Russell used a bazooka https://t.co/Zsq5jWq7or
— Treb (@treblaw) May 19, 2023
