Lakers coach Luke Walton fined $15,000 after publicly criticizing officials

Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton isn’t going to save his money after all. The 38-year-old was fined $15,000 by the NBA after publicly criticizing the league’s officials.

Walton’s comments came after Monday’s 143-142 loss against the San Antonio Spurs. Walton began his press conference by saying, “I wasn’t going to say anything. I was going to save my money, but …” before launching into his critiques about the officiating during the contest.

Walton’s main concern was that he believed the Spurs got more foul calls than the Lakers. The Spurs shot 38 free throws during the game. The Lakers shot 26.

The loss dropped the Lakers to 0-3 on the season, which may have contributed to Walton expressing his frustrations after the game.

LeBron James was much calmer during his postgame interview, saying he was frustrated the team didn’t win, but adding that he’s up for the task of getting things turned around.

James and Walton will get that opportunity Wednesday night, as the Lakers take on the Phoenix Suns. Another loss could result in more anger from Walton, but it also gets the team closer to seeing whether Kobe Bryant was really joking about coming out of retirement if the Lakers continue to struggle.

– – – – – – –

Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

More from Yahoo Sports:
• Report: NFL admits it missed crucial helmet hit on QB
• Mike Oz: Dodgers need a whole lot more than Machado
• Broncos send backup QB packing after arrest
• Jeff Passan: How Game 1 personified self-aware baseball