NBA fines Gobert $75,000 for making another money gesture in frustration over a foul call
NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was fined $75,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for another “inappropriate and unprofessional gesture” that suggested a lack of integrity with the league and its game officials.
Gobert glanced down and rubbed both thumbs together with his fingers as he walked up the court in frustration over a foul call in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s loss to Denver in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Sunday. Gobert had just been whistled for an offensive foul when the TNT broadcast showed him making the money-counting sign to himself.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said the fine “took into account Gobert’s history of improper conduct toward game officials.”
Two months ago during a regular season game at Cleveland, Gobert was called for a technical after picking up his sixth foul for making the money-counting gesture. One of the officials saw the taunt that time, and Gobert was later fined $100,000.
After that game, Gobert said he was concerned about the rise of betting and believes gambling is having a detrimental impact on outcomes, implicitly accusing officials of being on the take.
“I’ll be the bad guy,” Gobert said then. “I’ll take the fine, but I think it’s hurting our game. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger.”
The officiating crew on Sunday didn’t appear to notice his less-pronounced version, but the league did.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
