![NBA Fines LaMelo Ball $35K for Flipping Off Ref During Hornets and Heat Game [Video]](https://balleralert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GettyImages-1195348483-scaled-e1731880837360.jpg "NBA Fines LaMelo Ball K for Flipping Off Ref During Hornets and Heat Game [Video] - Baller Alert")
LaMelo Ball just learned the hard way that emotions can be expensive. The NBA has fined the Charlotte Hornets star $35,000 for making an obscene gesture during a loss to the Miami Heat earlier this week.
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The incident happened in the final moments of the game at the Kaseya Center. Ball, visibly frustrated after being called for an offensive foul, flipped off the referee. The action earned him a technical foul on top of the financial hit.
“Obscene gesture” was the official term used by the league when it announced the fine on Thursday.
This wasn’t Ball’s only misstep of the night. Earlier in the game, he accidentally kicked the ball into the face of Heat guard Davion Mitchell during a play, adding another lowlight to his evening.
Despite leading his team with 20 points, Ball couldn’t help the Hornets avoid a 144-117 blowout. Charlotte now sits at an even 2-2 for the season.
Ball, who took home Rookie of the Year honors in 2021, has averaged 21.1 points over six seasons with the Hornets. But the team hasn’t made a playoff appearance since 2016, and moments like this won’t help turn things around.
