The NBA fined Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler $35,000 and Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren $25,000 for an incident during Wednesday’s game in Indianapolis.
The fines were announced yesterday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, executive vice president of basketball operations.
In the third quarter of the game, a 122-108 Heat win, Butler and Warren bumped each other and exchanged words, and Warren was ejected. As Warren walked off, Butler blew kisses toward him, and Warren responded with an obscene gesture.
Butler’s fine also was for “escalating the incident on social media postgame.” He posted a photo on Instagram of the Heat’s schedule, circled the next game against the Pacers (March 20) and tagged Warren with a message: “don’t be mad you can’t guard me. We will see what you about in March.”
—Field Level Media