Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been fined $75,000 for a money-sign gesture directed at officials during Game 4 of the Wolves’ second-round series with the Denver Nuggets, the league announced Tuesday.
Joe Dumars, NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, labeled Gobert’s actions as “unprofessional” and stated that the fine “takes into account Gobert’s history of improper conduct toward game officials.”
Gobert, when asked about the penalty, responded calmly, saying, “Not surprised.”
Explaining the gesture, Gobert stated, “There was no message, just emotions. I got to control my emotions. It was a very physical game, an emotional game.”
This is not the first time Gobert has been fined for such behavior. He was previously fined $100,000 earlier in the season for a similar gesture towards referee Scott Foster.
In March, after the previous incident, Gobert expressed concerns about the influence of the league’s gambling partnerships on the game’s integrity.
The Timberwolves and Nuggets are currently tied 2-2 in their Western Conference semifinals series, with Gobert averaging 7.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in three games of the series.
