SAD NEWS: NBA fines Rudy Gobert $100 000..‘inappropriate and unprofessional’
The NBA fined Anthony Edwards center Rudy Gobert $100,000 — the largest fine issued to a player not suspended this season — for suggesting league referees were influenced by sports betting Friday night after a 113-104 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The fine, levied by league vice president and chief disciplinarian Joe Dumars and announced through a news release, also covered Gobert’s flashing the money sign with both hands toward refs after he was whistled for his sixth foul late in the fourth quarter.
Gobert explained his gesture, which drew a technical and led to a game-tying free throw from the Cavaliers, as “the truth — it’s what I truly believe.”
“Mistakes happen. Referees make mistakes, too. But sometimes I think it’s more than mistakes. I think everyone that’s in this league knows. I think it’s got to get better,” Gobert said after the game. “I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.”
The league said Gobert’s past critical statements of officials were considered when determining the cost of the fine. Criticizing officials typically comes with a fine of between $10,000 and $30,000 for players, though Gobert’s teammate Anthony Edwards was fined $40,000 for blasting the referees in January.
