If you saw the manner by which Marcus Smart was ejected during the Boston Celtics' humiliating blowout loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, then you probably knew that he was going to get slapped with a hefty fine by the NBA. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year completely went off by throwing a temper tantrum as he was being sent off by the referees.
True enough, the league did not hesitate to throw a $35,000 fine in Smart's direction for âdirecting inappropriate languageâ toward the game officials. It is unclear exactly what Smart said, but you can be sure that he wasn't being cordial with what seemed like an NSFW tirade as he was being held back by the coaching staff:
Marcus Smart is HEATED following his ejection while down 111-83 in Oklahoma City đŹ pic.twitter.com/fUtuCmlz6T
â Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 4, 2023
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was one of the people who pulled Smart back as he was trying to get his feelings across toward the refs. Had it not been for coach Joe, Smart could have very easily gotten himself into more trouble. When asked about his reaction to Smart's fine, the Boston shot-caller had a hilariously on-brand response:
âI gave him a hug and told him I loved him,â Mazzulla said.
What did Joe Mazzulla say to Marcus Smart after he was fined by the league?
"I gave him a hug & told him I loved him" pic.twitter.com/ov4IrrEqzg
â Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 5, 2023
Mazzulla said his succinct statement with a straight face too, so you know he wasn't joking. His blank expression is what makes this even more hilarious. Never change, coach Joe.
For his part, however, Marcus Smart will probably want to think twice the next time he goes off like this. Then again, this is all part of the package for the feisty guard, so I'm pretty sure this isn't the last time we're going to see Smart get ejected (and fined) for blasting the referees.
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