NBA star is fined $35,000 for making a gun with his fingers and pointing at a rival player during furious on-court confrontation
Washington Wizards guard Brandon Jennings points a finger gun (circled) at Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley on Tuesday. Both Jennings and Dudley were ejected from the game on technical fouls and fined $35,000 by the league
Jennings, 27, made a finger gun during on-court argument between NBA teams
Wizards center Jason Smith had fouled Phoenix Suns guard Tyler Ulis
Suns forward Jared Dudley escalated the situation by chest-bumping Smith
As a mid-court argument breaks loose, Jennings whips out his finger gun
Points finger gun menacingly at Dudley's head as referees intercede
Dudley and Jennings both ejected and fined $35,000 by league officials
'I was just telling Dudley to relax, like, calm down,' claims Jennings
Jennings joined the Wizards last week on a $1.2 million one-year contract
Washington Wizards guard Brandon Jennings ejected from game on Tuesday
An NBA player was ejected from a game and fined $35,000 after pointing a 'finger gun' at another team's players during a heated on-court dispute.
Washington Wizards guard Brandon Jennings made the gesture during a Tuesday game against the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Arizona.
Jennings, who signed a $1.2 million contract with the Wizards last week after being released by the New York Knicks, has claimed in spite of the video evidence that he didn't make any menacing gestures during the Wizards 131-127 win over the Suns.
The incident started with a rare back-court foul in the second quarter of the game, when Wizards center Jason Smith was called on a hard screen against Suns guard Tyler Ulis.
As Smith and Ulis traded words, Ulis' teammate Jared Dudley rushed over and bumped Smith with his chest and forehead.
Officials tried in vain to stop the escalating argument as both teams crowded the court exchanging heated words.
At this point Jennings made the finger gun gesture, pointing his index and middle finger at Suns forward Dudley with his thumb raised toward the ceiling.
Jennings pointed the finger gun at Dudley's head as he shouted something and circled the knot of players to confront him.
Officials separated the two players and ejected both Jennings and Dudley from the game with technical fouls.
Wizards center Jason Smith is seen knocking Suns guard Tyler Ulis to the hardwood in the back court as the Wizards bring the ball up the court
Another Suns player, forward Jared Dudley, is seen chest bumping Smith as he rushes to his teammate's defense
After referees separate Smith and Dudley, Jennings is seen approaching Dudley with his fingers raised in an gun-like gesture
Jennings flashes the two-fingered gun gesture at Dudley as teammates and officials try to separate the two players, neither of whom were involved in the original foul
Jennings was quickly back in action the next day, seeing 18 minutes of playing time in Wednesday's win against the Denver Nuggets.
But league officials announced on Thursday that both the Wizards' Jennings and the Suns' Dudley would be fined $35,000 for their on-court behavior in the Tuesday game.
Jennings, whose one-year contract with the Wizards is worth a guaranteed $1.2 million, denied he'd made a finger gun in an interview with the Washington Post.
'They said I pointed my finger like a gun at Dudley,' Jennings said of league officials.
Jennings is seen walking off the court after his technical foul and ejection. The Wizards went on to beat the Suns 131-127.
'I was telling Dudley to relax, like, calm down, because you’re not that type of guy,' Jennings continued.
'I was just protecting my teammate.'
Jennings is not the first player to be fined for making such a gesture. In 2015, Miami Heat guard Gerald Green was fined $25,000 for making double finger guns during a preseason game.
But last month, league officials ruled that an apparent gun gesture by Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas was not intended as a menace, and declined to fine him, SportsNet reported.
(The Mail,UK)
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