The NBA levied a $15,000 fine on Warriors forward Kevin Durant on Thursday for his public criticism of refeeres earlier in the week.
Durant accused official James Williams of targeting him on various foul calls during the Warriors’ 123-112 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday. Durant apologized the next day for the statements he made after the game.
Said Durant on Wednesday: “That one foul at the end wasn’t a foul,” said Durant, who reviewed the plays when he got home Tuesday. “I shouldn’t have slammed the ball down like I did. I can go back and say I was being a jerk last night, and I deserve whatever the league is going to throw at me. I wish I had handled that better, obviously, but it was kind of heat of the moment for me. I could be better. It was a great learning experience for me, though.”
The National Basketball Referees Association accepted Durant’s apology in a tweet, saying “Apology accepted. This is the kind of common ground we hope to achieve when the NBRA meets with” the National Basketball Players Association next month about tensions between the league’s players and officials.