The Los Angeles Laker LeBron James has been hit with a $15,000 fine for an “obscene gesture” that he made while celebrating his team’s overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers last week.

The NBA said in a statement that James was fined “for making an obscene gesture on the playing court.”

“The incident occurred with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 124-116 overtime win against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse,” the NBA added.

CNN reported that James made the gesture after he successfully scored a three-point shot.

Byron Spruell, who is president of the NBA’s League Operations, added that James was also given a warning for using “profane language during media availability in response to league imposed discipline.”

This came days after James was ejected from a game due to him elbowing Detroit Pistons player Isaiah Stewart, leaving him bloodied. This led to Stewart confronting James, and an on-court altercation quickly ensued.

The NBA ultimately suspended Stewart for two games for “escalating” the situation and “repeatedly and aggressively” pursuing James, who was suspended for one game for the first time in his nearly 20-year professional basketball career for “recklessly hitting” Stewart. This was also only the second time that James had been ejected from an NBA game.

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After his game on Thursday, James described his suspension as “some bulls***.”

“Rob [Pelinka] called me. I missed his call,” James told ESPN, referring to the Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager.. “As soon as when I checked my phone and it was a missed call, I was like, ‘I know I’m suspended.’ I mean, it’s some bulls—. But whatever.”

James went on to give his side of the story of his altercation with Stewart.

“There was a boxout on the free throw line. His elbow got kind of high, it got me — if you look, if you watch the film — it got me off balanced a little bit, and his elbow lifted my arm, and I basically tried to swim move, swim down on him, on his arm,” James said.

“And when I swung down on his arm, he got off balance and the left side of my hand grazed his face. And I knew right away,” he added. “So, I knew right away I had caught some part of his head. So, I went over to apologize to him, and obviously, you guys saw what happened after that. But definitely accidental.”

“I hate to see that, what escalated after that,” James continued. “I didn’t think it warranted [a suspension]. I thought it warranted an ejection because of what happened after that. Having me, probably, still in the game and the excitement from the fans and what could possibly happen after that, obviously. But a suspension, I didn’t think it was warranted. But the league made that call, and we’re here today.”

Needless to say, this has not been a great couple of days for LeBron James.

This piece was written by James Samson on November 29, 2021. It originally appeared in RedVoiceMedia.com and is used by permission.

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