Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers was fined $40,000 for throwing an Indiana Pacers fan’s phone

On Tuesday, the NBA fined Portland Trail Blazers’ Jusuf Nurkic $40,000 for confronting a fan at a game in Indiana and throwing the guy’s smartphone.

The incident occurred immediately after the Blazers’ game against the Pacers on Sunday. Nurkic approached the fan, came up to within a few inches of the individual, snatched the individual’s iPhone, and flung it into the neighboring seats.

Jusuf Nurkic was fined $40,000 by NBA fined Portland Trail Blazers for the same during the team’s 129-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

This is what the league stated about the incident

Byron Spruell, President, League Operations, stated today that Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic has been fined $40,000 for assaulting a fan courtside and seizing the fan’s cell phone and hurling it into the spectator seats. The incident happened after the Trail Blazers’ 129-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 20.

After the final buzzer rang, Nurkic approached the courtside fan, snatched the phone from his grip, hurled it into the stands, and looked at the man for a few moments before walking away.

The following is a description of the incident:

Nurkic did not speak to the media about the matter because he is out with an injury. According to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, the heckler in Indiana made fun of Nurkic’s mother and grandmother, both of whom died of COVID in 2020.

Fans frequently overstep their bounds, and it’s reasonable that players become irritated by their antics. Despite the fact that the fan’s actions were allegedly despicable, Nurkic had other options for dealing with the supporter. As other players have done in the past, he might have notified stadium security. Instead, he let his emotions get the better of him, and now he’ll pay the price.

What happened before the occurrence, which lasted only a few seconds, was unknown. After the phone was flung, a security guard walked between Nurkic and the fan, and the Blazers’ center walked away.

Indiana won by a score of 129-98. Nurkic, dubbed “the Bosnian Beast,” did not participate. He hasn’t played since mid-February due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

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