Jusuf Nurkic got into a heated confrontation with a fan over the weekend, and the incident has cost the Portland Trail Blazers star some money.
The NBA announced on Tuesday that Nurkic has been fined $40,000 for grabbing a fan’s cell phone and throwing it during Portland’s game against the Pacers in Indiana on Saturday. A statement from the league said the fine is a result of Nurkic “confronting a fan courtside and grabbing the fan’s cell phone and throwing it into the spectator stands.”
Nurkic did not play in the game, as he has been dealing with a foot injury. A video that surfaced after the Blazers’ 129-98 blowout loss showed the big man slowly walk up to a Pacers fan and snatch the fan’s phone. Nurkic got right in the fan’s face and then tossed his phone to the side. You can see the video here.
It’s unclear what angered Nurkic, but it is safe to assume the fan said something to him before the incident.
Pacers fans have been in the news a few times this year for interactions with players. LeBron James had some fans in Indiana ejected from a game a few months back.
