Fred VanVleet’s stellar season opener was dampened a bit by an ankle injury, and now he is calling for the NBA to take corrective action.
The Toronto Raptors guard, who scored 34 points in an overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans, stepped on a cameraman’s foot in the third quarter and sprained his ankle. Though he would later return to the game, VanVleet was vocal afterwards about his desire to see the cameras moved back.
“How many times does it have to happen before we have to think about doing something else?” he said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. “It happens way too much. I think we can do a better job.
“The NBA is so good at being proactive to help us out,” VanVleet added. “If they’re going to move the box back keep the guys in the box, sometimes they sneak their feet out the box. We got good enough cameras. It doesn’t happen everyday but it happens way too much.”
VanVleet is far from the first NBA star to complain about camera placement, and the fact that he suffered an actual injury because of it may force the league to reevaluate matters.
