Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart Fined $25,000 by NBA for Obscene Gesture
In the wake of falling 0-2 to the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart couldn’t hold back his frustration in flipping off a fan.
Sometimes the emotional side of Marcus Smart overwhelms his judgment. According to an official release from the NBA on Wednesday, the Boston Celtics guard has been fined $25,000 for making the obscene gesture towards a fan while on the court during the 111-97 embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Although the league did not release video of the action, a TNT video caught Smart flipping off a fan after missing a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. While his action is in no way acceptable, the emotion displayed the level of frustration the entire team has in falling 0-2 to the No.8 seed Bulls.
Simply put, Smart needs to keep his emotions under control in these types of situations. In this particular game, he finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists. He clearly showed he came to play. However, he lacked smartness during a moment when his team was down on the scoreboard and down emotionally.
Brad Stevens on Smart’s action
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Despite his level of play, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens expressed disappointment in his lack of emotional control. Before the league announced the fine, Stevens addressed the situation in a conference call with the media.
"“I have not heard from the league about it,” Stevens said Wednesday afternoon, via Masslive. “I’m not the one that they usually contact; usually they contact the front office. Obviously, I’ve been told of the gesture. I saw a brief video clip of it but, from my clip, from the angle that I saw, I couldn’t tell. But obviously if he made a gesture, it’s unacceptable and that will be handled by the league.”"
Now that the NBA has issued a fine, it is unclear as to whether the Celtics will apply some sort of disciplinary action.
In the meantime, let’s hope Marcus Smart and his teammates find a way to exert that level of emotion in their play on the court. It would be nice if that came with rebounding and better shot selection.
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