Taj Gibson fined $25,000 after giving ref the finger after ejection

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson will shell out $25,000 for his outburst during Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz. After being ejected in the third quarter, Gibson went off on a ref, giving the official the finger during his outburst.

On Saturday, the NBA announced it had fined Gibson $25,000 for “aggressively pursuing and directing an obscene gesture at a game official.”

The 33-year-old Gibson was not happy after being called for a foul as Joe Ingles was going up for a layup. Gibson responded by yelling at official James Williams. He received a technical foul for his actions, and then got another one seconds later after he kept yelling at Williams.

Before he left the court, Gibson ran toward Williams and continue yelling at the official while being held back by teammates. At that point, Gibson flipped off the ref before turning around and heading for the tunnel.

The Timberwolves appeared to rally around the ejection. After trailing by double digits when Gibson was ejected, the team roared back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Jazz 33-16. Despite the late attempt, Minnesota fell short and lost the contest 106-102.

While that’s a hefty price to pay for one gesture, Gibson may have gotten off light.

After the game, Gibson said that his emotions boiled over and that he “had a lot of respect” for Williams. Gibson said he was hoping to have a conversation with Williams so he could apologize to the ref.

With Gibson avoiding a suspension, he should return to the court Sunday when the Timberwolves take on the Jazz again. Gibson will hope for a better result — both for him and the Timberwolves — in the rematch.

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