NBA Fines Jokic $25k But Opts Not To Suspend Him For Altercation With Suns Owner During Game 4


Photo: Instagram/Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for "making improper contact with a spectator sitting courtside".

Despite the incident, the league has opted not to suspend him for his brief tussle with new Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4 on Sunday night.

The incident occurred during the second quarter of Phoenix's 129-124 victory, tying the series at 2-2. The altercation happened when the basketball went out of bounds off of Phoenix and into the hands of Ishbia, who refused to give the ball to Jokic.

Photo: Instagram/Nikola Jokic is known for his impressive performance on the court. However, he has also been involved in a few altercations with other players during his career.

Jokic wanted to make a quick inbounds pass but the ball ended up in the stands. Not knowing who Ishbia was, Jokic used a light forearm to shove him and the Suns owner fell back into his courtside seat.

The league issued a statement regarding the incident, stating that "Jokic made contact with Ishbia in an attempt to take the game ball away and immediately after when the ball flew further back into the crowd." Following the incident, Jokic argued that Ishbia had put his hand on him first.

Despite the incident, Ishbia did not want the league to suspend Jokic, who had an impressive 53 points in Game 4 and is averaging 36.5 points, 14 rebounds, and 9.5 assists while shooting 57% from the field and 42.9% on 3-pointers against Phoenix.

Ishbia, who played college basketball at Michigan State and made his fortune in the mortgage business, purchased a majority stake in the Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury for $4 billion.

In a halftime interview on Sunday, Ishbia said he was "fine" and more concerned about the game than the altercation. He was back in his usual seat during the second half of the game.

Read Next: LeBron James' Son Bronny Commits To USC For Basketball: A Historic Moment For The James Family

Source: USA Today


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