Suns' Jackson fined for swearing, menacing gesture at fan
The NBA announced Tuesday it fined Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson $35,000 for directing a menacing gesture and inappropriate language at a fan.
The No. 4 pick appeared to shoot an imaginary gun at someone in the Staples Center stands and drop the F-bomb as he headed to the bench late in Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
He denied he was making a violent gesture.
"I actually wasn't making a gun," Jackson said, according to Scott Bordow of azcentral.com.
"I kind of wanted to put up the middle finger to him but I didn't do that because I felt like I was really being watched, so I kind of halfway did it."
It seems the league office didn't buy that explanation, so the rook will have to pay up.
The 20-year-old small forward is averaging 12.5 points, two rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game and is owed about $5 million this season.