Jusuf Nurkic Got Fined $40,000 For Taking A Pacers Fan’s Phone And Tossing It

The Portland Trail Blazers are currently working very hard to avoid the West’s play-in tournament, having lost 10 of their last 12 games (picking up a rare win on Monday in Detroit). Portland made their intentions clear at the trade deadline as they made future-facing moves by dealing away Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and CJ McCollum.

With Damian Lillard sidelined for the year, Anfernee Simons likewise on the shelf since early March, and Jusuf Nurkic out with plantar fasciitis, Portland is simply undermanned most nights and seems perfectly fine with that. Still, it can be frustrating to be on that bench as a player watching your team lose, and for Nurkic, he’s heard enough from opposing fans and reached a breaking point after a 31-point loss to the Pacers on Sunday.

A fan courtside was apparently heckling Nurkic and recording it all on his phone, so the big man calmly strolled over to him, plucked the phone out of his hand, and tossed it away.

It is, undeniably, a hilarious interaction, but also one that was always going to result in a fine, which the NBA announced on Tuesday, as Nurkic will be out $40,000 for his phone toss.

That’s a steep price to pay, but maybe one that was worth it to Nurkic for the sheer satisfaction of taking someone’s phone and casually flicking it two rows away.