LaMelo Ball Fined 100K by NBA For Saying 'No Homo'
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball was assigned a very steep fine by the NBA after jokingly saying "no homo" during a postgame interview on Saturday.
The league's language police handed Ball a $100,000 fine for the phrase.
"Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been fined $100,000 for making an offensive and derogatory comment in a postgame interview," NBA executive Joe Dumars relayed Sunday.
"We loaded up – no homo," Ball said after the win when asked about defending Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Ball made two free throws at the end of Saturday's Hornets win over the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-114.
"That's what we wanted, put a hand up and then live with the results," he added.
In this case, two things can be true: Ball failed to exercise better judgment during a public interview, and $100,000 is too much money to fine a player for an innocuous phrase.
Ball's fine more than doubles the $40,000 fine assigned to Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas last season after he also uttered "no homo" during an interview.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts to a call during the first half of a basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Spectrum Center on November 16, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
It's hard to make sense of the NBA's scales of justice.
Two seasons ago, the NBA fined Draymond Green for engaging in a verbal spat with a fan, a punishment which cost him $25,000. Last season, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was fined $100,000 for making gestures at refs, suggesting they were being paid off. Separately, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murry was fined 100K for ‘throwing’ a heating pad at an official while sidelined during a game.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots a free throw during the first half of a basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Spectrum Center on November 16, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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