Irving fined $50K for obscene gesture directed at Celtics fans
BOSTON » Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been fined $50,000 for making obscene gestures and directing profane language toward the crowd during Brooklyn’s Game 1 playoff loss to the Celtics,
League operations president Byron Spruell announced the fines on Tuesday.
Cameras captured Irving flipping his middle finger toward fans as he ran down the court after making a shot in the third quarter. Irving said after the game that his actions were in response to jeers from fans he said crossed the line.
Irving spent two seasons in Boston before departing during free agency in 2019 to join the Nets.
In Game 1 on Sunday, he was booed loudly every time he touched the ball but led Brooklyn with 39 points in the Nets’ last-second 115-114 loss. Fans have given him similar receptions in recent visits to Boston.
NETS’ SIMMONS PLAYS 4-ON-4 WITH CONTACT »
Nets star forward Ben Simmons participated in fouron-four drills on Monday and five-on-zero “scripting, running through the plays” on Tuesday with no setback to the lower back injury that has restricted him from making his Nets debut, head coach Steve Nash said after practice at Harvard.
Asked how Simmons’ back responded to the contact, Nash said: “So far, so good. He managed yesterday’s
activity well. … He felt fine today.”
Nash said Simmons will likely do another four-onfour during Friday’s upcoming practice back in Brooklyn at the HSS Training Facility in Sunset Park, but the Nets coach said “he’s probably not” going to do five-on-five on Friday because the Nets “don’t have 10 guys” for him to practice with in the stay-ready group.
Pro football
WATSON REPORTS TO BROWNS FOR FIRST OFFSEASON PROGRAM » Deshaun Watson walked through snow on the way to his first day of work with the Browns. Baker Mayfield was nowhere in sight.
Watson reported to Cleveland’s offseason program to restart his career with the Browns, who mortgaged their short-term future by acquiring the controversial quarterback accused of sexual misconduct in a trade last month.
TIRICO, COLLINSWORTH AND STARK TO DO SNF » NBC Sports revealed its new “Sunday Night Football” announcing team with analyst Cris Collinsworth returning and being joined by Mike Tirico in the booth and Melissa Stark on the sidelines.
The network said the crew will work for the first time at the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 4. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders are playing.
Baseball PADRES 1ST MLB TEAM TO REACH UNIFORM AD DEAL »
San Diego became the first team to announce a deal for ads on their uniforms, saying that patches with a Motorola logo will be worn on the right sleeves of their jerseys.
The March 10 memorandum of understanding for a new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players’ association gave the 30 teams the right to sell patch ads on uniforms and sticker ads on helmets.
MLB decided to launch the uniform ads with the 2023 season and says it may start the helmet ads with this year’s postseason.