Photo Credit: Reuters
2025-12-21 20:10:00
Reuters reports the NBA fined Marcus Smart $35,000 for making an obscene gesture toward an official at halftime of a Lakers win, instantly reigniting online ‘refs vs players’ debate.
While league fines are common, the optics are not: clips travel fast, and fan arguments about officiating consistency follow even faster.
Smart’s incident lands in a season where coaches and players have repeatedly complained about how games are called.
ESPN reported: “Lakers guard Marcus Smart was fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture toward a game official…”. The Los Angeles Times similarly wrote: “Lakers guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture…”.
Echotitbits take:
This matters because it feeds a broader league narrative about officiating trust. Watch whether Smart comments publicly and whether the NBA introduces any transparency measures that cool down the recurring ‘ref talk’ cycle.
Source: Reuters — 2025-12-21 — https://www.reuters.com/sports/lakers-marcus-smart-fined-35000-obscene-gesture–flm-2025-12-21/
Reuters
2025-12-21