Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert will be fined $100,000 for directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official. Also, for publicly criticizing the officiating, Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President and head of Basketball Operations, announced today. The fine takes into account Gobert’s past instances of conduct detrimental to the NBA, such as publicly criticizing the officiating.
What Happened with Rudy Gobert?
Gobert’s actions occurred during and after the Timberwolves’ 113-104 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The NBA announced it fined Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert $100,000 “for directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture” toward a referee and publicly criticizing the officiating in his team’s 113-104 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gobert received a technical foul in the fourth quarter after mimicking a money gesture with his hands toward the refs. In case that was too subtle, the three-time All-Star implied gambling interests could be influencing NBA games.
“I will bite the bullet again,” he told reporters. “I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll take the fine, but I think it’s hurting our game. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.”
NBA’s Stance on the Situation
Whether it’s a coach or player, openly criticizing the referees always draws a fine from the NBA, and the league was bound to come down harder on Gobert based on the nature of his remarks. ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted this was the maximum amount allowable under the collective bargaining agreement:
Dean Blandino told Brandon Contes on the Awful Announcing Podcast that the league “had situations where people were approached” about influencing games for betting purposes.
Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, who served as the acting head coach Friday, knew Gobert went too far with the money gesture.
“A technical foul with 27 seconds in the game, to be honest, is unacceptable,” he said. That’s who Rudy is, but you’ve got to be smart. He made an automatic visual. He was frustrated—both teams were—but we have to be smarter.”
More than the fine, Gobert’s actions might have carried a steeper cost on the court. Thanks to his technical, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland sank a free throw to tie the score and send the contest into overtime.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.