On Friday, San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins flipped off the officials after being ejected from the game, marking a memorable moment in a blowout loss to the Sacramaneto Kings.
Now, the NBA is making Collins pay — $35,000, to be exact. The league announced Saturday that it had fined Collins $35,000 for the “obscene gesture.”
Collins was ejected early in the second quarter of Friday’s game after the forward argued with referees about a call. Although San Antonio tried to take him out of the game, Collins continued jawing with referee Michael Smith, who handed him a technical.
The Spurs forward dug in further, continuing to yell obscenities until Smith eventually gave him a second technical and the ejection. Collins responded by flashing his middle finger before being escorted off the court.
San Antonio went on to lose the game, 140-113.
The NBA has strict rules against disrespecting officials and is known for punishing players for using obscene language and gestures in what it considers a family-friendly sport. Last month, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was also fined $35,000 for flipping the bird at a fan; coincidentally, the incident also took place in Sacramento.
