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Center Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves
Photo: Sue Ogrocki / AP
The North American professional basketball league NBA rarely imposes such a high fine: French star center Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves has to pay $100,000 after an inappropriate gesture against the referee team.
In the 104:113 defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gobert initially had a foul whistled against him and then rubbed his fingers together to accuse the referees of bribery.
As the NBA announced, previous cases of public criticism of referees were also taken into account in the amount of the penalty.
After the game, Gobert also didn't show any insight: "I'll bite the bullet and be the bad guy again," Gobert told the press.
»I will accept the penalty, but I think it hurts our game.
I know sports betting and stuff are getting bigger, but it shouldn’t feel like that.”
Gobert had two reasons to be angry: a technical foul was declared for his gesture, the Cavaliers used the free throw shortly before the end to equalize and turned the game around in overtime.
Gobert showed remorse primarily because he had harmed his team: “I really believe that my reaction is true.
But even if I really believe that, I shouldn't have reacted like that.
That was an immature reaction.”
Always involved in scandals
It is not the first time that the 31-year-old top defensive player has attracted negative attention in the NBA.
At the beginning of the corona pandemic, Gobert caused a stir when he deliberately touched journalists' microphones before a press event only to later test positive.
Last year, Gobert hit his teammate Kyle Anderson after a verbal argument and was suspended for the important game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
cev/Reuters