Celtics guard Marcus Smart got the bill from the NBA on Friday for his bashing of referees a night earlier: $15,000.
The league fined Smart for making critical comments Thursday in Charlotte, N.C., following Boston's victory over the Hornets. He said, among other things, that officials treat him differently than other players.
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"I said (to one of the on-court officials), 'If it was me, y'all [would] probably throw me out the game and everything. So either you clear it up, or I will,'" Smart said in reference to being shoved to the floor by Hornets forward Miles Bridges, who was given a technical foul after a review. Smart has earned a reputation for being an antagonist and a flopper on the court.
Smart said he felt the need to speak publicly in his own defense after having lobbied the officials.
"I'm coming to y'all (officials) first, but at some point, as a player, as a man, you've got to protect yourself. . . . If that means I've got to lose a little bit of money, I've got to lose a little bit of money," he said.
Smart was whistled for five fouls Thursday, with Nos. 4 and 5 coming on consecutive possessions in the third quarter.
