CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson is a little lighter in the wallet after Monday’s 99-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Thompson was fined $15,000 by the NBA “for making an inappropriate gesture toward a spectator” at the end of the Cavaliers’ fifth win of the 2018-2019 regular season, according to Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports was the first to report Thompson’s fine.
Including the latest punishment, Thompson has been fined 19 times in his career, mostly for technical fouls (16), and also, twice for ejections. After being ejected from Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, Thompson was fined $2,000, and then, upon further review, drew a $25,000 censure for “failing to leave the court in a timely manner.”
Thompson played 34 minutes against the Nets and finished off his 14th double-double of points and rebounds of the season with 19 markers and 14 caroms. Thompson was eight of 11 from the floor and three of four at the free-throw line in the win over the Nets.
Currently, Thompson is on pace for a career year with the Cavaliers, as through 24 games, all of which have been starts for the seventh-year professional, he has averaged 11.8 points and 11.8 rebounds over 30.4 minutes per contest.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of The University of Texas, Thompson is shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 61.5 percent at the free-throw line this season.
