Irving offers to pay fine for Jefferson's winking tech foul
It's rare that an NBA player would get a technical foul for winking, but then again it's rare to wink in general in 2016. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson is facing a $2,000 fine by the league after his taunting wink at Kevin Durant on Christmas Day landed him his third technical in three games.
It seems however, that teammate Kyrie Irving is prepared to foot the bill for the 36-year-old Jefferson, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"Kyrie has been paying so much money for me, I don't know," said Jefferson after Cleveland's 109-108 win over the Golden State Warriors. "He's been paying all these fines. I'm going to see what I can do to try and get it negated. But that's why you have good teammates."
The tech could still be rescinded by the NBA, something LeBron James told McMenamin he thought would happen. Jefferson was also ejected against the Milwaukee Bucks last Wednesday, tossing his jersey into the crowd out of frustration.
The veteran dunker pulled out the wink after cramming on Durant in the fourth quarter Sunday. Jefferson doesn't think it was much of a taunt. "Just a smile and a wink to another competitor," he said.
His head coach Tyronn Lue disagreed, perhaps given a near-universal belief that winking is an obnoxious act.
"You should get a tech if you wink," Lue said. "I'd rather he'd cussed him out or said something like that. If you wink, you should get a tech, yeah, for sure."