The NBA announced a $25,000 fine for Nuggets center Nikola Jokic for comments he made during a postgame interview on Oct. 31.
After the Nuggets defeated the Bulls, Jokic was asked about Wendell Carter Jr. and said, "No homo, but he's longer than you expect." The league determined Jokic used "derogatory and offensive language" in his response, leading to the hefty fine.
The NBA has been consistent on this issue and punishes players for using homophobic language. Roy Hibbert was fined $75,000 in 2013 for using the same phrase, in addition to calling the media "mother f—ers."
Before Hibbert and Jokic, the league disciplined other stars like Kobe Bryant and Joakim Noah for using offensive language. Bryant was fined $100,000 in 2011 after directing an anti-gay slur toward a referee, and Noah was fined $50,000 the same year for also using an anti-gay slur.
