Dallas big man Amare Stoudemire was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Saturday for his angry outburst at his ejection from the Mavericks’ 112-102 loss to Memphis on Friday.
NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn announced the penalty imposed for Stoudemire’s verbal abuse of a game official, and his failure to leave the court in a timely manner.
Referee Scott Foster called two quick technical fouls on Stoudemire after he argued an offensive foul call against him.
Stoudemire said he didn’t swear at the referee until after the second technical, which carried an automatic ejection.
“I had to get my money’s worth at that point,” Stoudemire said.
Stoudemire continued to jaw with officials after the incident, and took his jersey off before leaving the court.
After the game he said he didn’t think the officials should have been so quick to call a second technical foul.
“To be a 13-year veteran, I figured I’d have a little more respect than two quick technical fouls without saying a curse word,” he said. – Agence France-Presse
