Marcus Smart came into the NBA with a reputation as a hot-head. He has mostly stayed away from those actions in the Association and outside of a few flopping fines, things have been quiet for the Boston Celtics guard.
However, going down 2-0 to the eighth-seeded Bulls in the first round of the playoffs is one way to get the defensive guru to revert to his old ways. That’s exactly what happened on Tuesday as the Celtics were in the midst of their second straight loss at home to start the postseason:
Following video via ESPN:
On Wednesday, the NBA fined Smart for flipping off the fan. The following statement was released by the league:
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $25,000 for making an obscene gesture on the playing court, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
An isolated incident in the emotional landscape of a playoff game is probably nothing to sweat. Smart does have a history of interacting with fans going back to his college days, however.
Hopefully, this is just a one-time incident. The league would hand down a much larger punishment the next time Smart has a similar interaction with a fan.
