NBA fines LeBron James for obscene gesture

Nov 21, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) walks off the court after being ejected from the game during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. (Raj Mehta-USA Today Sports via Reuters)

LeBron James is in trouble with the NBA again.

The Los Angeles Lakers star received a $15,000 fine from the league on Friday for using an obscene gesture late in a game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, James was suspended for one game in response to his strike that bloodied the face of the Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart. James reacted angrily to the one-game ban, calling the punishment “some bulls–,” which prompted the NBA to warn him publicly Friday against “using profane language during media availability.”

The suspension kept James out of the Lakers’ lone visit to face the New York Knicks this season, and Los Angeles dropped that game 106-100 without him on Tuesday.

James returned to action Wednesday at Indianapolis, and he scored 39 points as the Lakers beat the Pacers 124-116 in overtime.

During the contest, James made an obscene gesture with 1:17 left in the fourth quarter after he sank a 3-pointer that gave the Lakers a six-point lead.

Entering Los Angeles’ Friday night home game against the Sacramento Kings, James was averaging 24.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists through nine games this season.

—Field Level Media

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