The NBA has imposed a fine of $38,725 AUD on Oklahoma City Thunder all-star Jalen Williams for donning attire featuring profane language during a post-game media briefing, as announced by the league on Tuesday morning (Australian time).
This incident occurred on Sunday following the Thunder’s commanding 125-93 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game Seven of their conference semi-finals playoff series.
During the press conference, Williams was seen wearing a white T-shirt that boldly read, “F–k Art, Let’s Dance.”
Shortly after the session commenced, Williams opted to put on a black jacket in an effort to conceal the shirt.
While he refrained from using any profanity while addressing the media, the NBA still fined him for the words emblazoned across his shirt.
In the game, Williams made significant contributions, scoring 24 points, which propelled the Thunder into the Western Conference finals.
This season marked Williams’ inaugural appearance as an All Star.
He achieved an impressive average of 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists during the regular season, helping the Thunder finish with the best league record of 68-14.
According to Spotrac, this is the largest fine Williams has faced so far, with his previous five fines averaging just over $3,000 AUD each for technical fouls.
Typically, the league refrains from penalising players for their clothing choices, with a notable exception being a warning issued to a player in 2022 regarding the colour of his sideline shirt.
Nevertheless, Williams received this unprecedented fine from the NBA due to the explicit nature of the profanity on his shirt, prompting the league to take action against the Oklahoma City Thunder all-star.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will commence the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday morning, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game One.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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