LeBron James fined $15K for Sam Cassell 'obscene gesture' in win over Pacers
Not even LeBron James is immune from a Sam Cassell celebration fine.
The NBA fined James $15,000 for making an “obscene gesture” during the Los Angeles Lakers’ overtime win against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, the league announced Friday.
James drilled a big 3-pointer in overtime to lead the Lakers to the 124-116 win, and hit Sam Cassell’s iconic “Big Balls” celebration as he made his way down the court.
The NBA has fined LeBron James $15,000 for his Sam Cassell celebration on a clutch 3-pointer in Lakers’ win over Indiana.
H/T @SpectrumSN@ShamsCharania | #LakeShow
pic.twitter.com/W7oGkqoqlU— SHOWTIMEFORUM (@showtime_forum) November 27, 2021
The NBA has been fining players for that celebration — which has become incredibly popular in the NBA and across sports — very strictly for nearly a decade. Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet was fined for hitting the move in front of Cassell earlier this month.
James dropped a season-high 39 points in Indianapolis, which marked his first game back from his one-game suspension after an altercation with Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. James also had a pair of Pacers fans ejected from the contest in overtime, as they allegedly were using “obscene” language and gestures at their courtside seats.
James addressed his one-game suspension after the win, and thought he shouldn’t have been suspended.
“I mean, it’s some bulls**t,” he said. “But whatever.”
The NBA officially warned James “for using profane language during media availability in response to league imposed discipline” on Friday when it fined him, too.