Pelicans' DeMarcus Cousins fined $25K for 'inappropriate language' aimed at fan
New Orleans Pelicans’ star DeMarcus Cousins was fined $25,000 by the NBA for directing inappropriate language at a fan, the league announced Saturday.
The incident in question happened with 50 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Pelicans’ 103-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 18 at FedEx Forum. The technical foul that was given to Cousins as part of the altercation has been rescinded.
According to Geoff Calkins, Cousins was being heckled by fans and he said, “F you b****.” The fan responded with, “No, F you” and then NBA security had to come an intervene.
According to fans close to scene, Boogie Cousins, being heckled, said "F you, bitch." Fan responded, "No, F you." NBA security intervened.
— Geoff Calkins (@geoff_calkins) October 19, 2017
Cousins said his first technical of the year was “bogus.” He finished the game with 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks and told The Times-Picayune that his reaction was caused by a fan sitting courtside who “dropped a couple f-bombs (and) flipped me off.”
“That was pretty bogus,” Cousins told The Times-Picayune. “The ref sat there and heard (the fan) speaking to me in a very nasty way. I shouldn’t have responded to it, but I’m a human being and I’m also a grown man. I’m not going to let another person just disrespect me.”
