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Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert was fined $100,000 on Sunday for a gesture and comments implying the NBA’s officiating is fixed. The fine marked the maximum possible under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. However, according to NBA legend-turned-TNT analyst Charles Barkley, Gobert should’ve been suspended.
With 27.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Friday’s road matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gobert was whistled for a loose ball foul. The foul marked his sixth, automatically disqualifying him from the game.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year reacted by making a money gesture toward referee Scott Foster. He didn’t notice, but official Natalie Sago did, stepping in to assess Gobert with a technical foul.
After Minnesota fell 113-104 in overtime without Gobert, the big man continued expressing frustration in his postgame interview. He implied that the NBA’s officiating has become influenced by gambling and noted that he would accept a fine to defend himself.
“I'll bite the bullet again,” Gobert said. “I'll be the bad guy. I'll take the fine, but I think it's hurting our game. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn't feel that way.”
As expected, the league cracked down hard on the three-time All-Star, fining him $100,000 for “directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official, and publicly criticizing the officiating.”
The league added that the fine “took into account Gobert’s past instances of conduct detrimental to the NBA with regard to publicly criticizing the officiating.”
The Timberwolves have since played two more games, and seemingly moved past the incident. However, Barkley reignited the discourse surrounding the controversy during Thursday night’s TNT broadcast.
“I’ve got a question for Shaq[uille] O’Neal and Kenny [Smith]. The Rudy Gobert thing, what did you think about it?... I thought he should’ve got suspended,” Barkley said. “The one thing we can never do in sports ever is to make people think that the game is fixed.
“... It would ruin the sport if people thought it was fixed. They fined Luka Doncic. They fined Rudy Gobert before. I thought they should have suspended him.”
Barkley’s co-host Kenny Smith wasn’t sure if Gobert deserved a suspension for his actions. However, he agreed that the big man’s money gesture threatened the “integrity of the game.”
It remains to be seen if the league will consider suspending players for criticizing referees. However, most would probably agree with Barkley and Smith that it’s not a good look for the league to have players openly reprimanding officials so frequently.
Also Read: Shaquille O'Neal lays down gauntlet to DPOY frontrunner Rudy Gobert, calls him overrated
Charles Barkley says Rudy Gobert was wrong about officiating complaint
After expounding on why Rudy Gobert shouldn’t have called out officials for fixing games, Charles Barkley comically noted that he did so for no reason.
The former MVP asked to see a replay of Gobert’s sixth foul against Cleveland that prompted his money gesture. Gobert was called for a loose ball foul for pulling down Cavaliers star center Jarrett Allen while attempting to secure an offensive rebound.
According to Barkley, the Timberwolves star unquestionably fouled Allen and had no reason to complain.
“Can you rewind this tape for me one time, please? … Kenny, tell this fool this is a foul. That’s a foul!” Barkley said. “… And he’s gonna talk about somebody’s rigging the game? Dude, you just slammed the guy almost down.”
(1:31 mark below)
Barkley’s comments align with the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report from Friday’s contest. The report noted that the officials made the correct call, as Gobert “grabbed and pulled Allen’s jersey away from his body, affecting his ability to pursue the rebound.”
Thus, Gobert probably would have been better off holding back his criticism and saving $100,000.
Guess the Lakers players!
