Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse recently made national headlines when he vocalized criticism toward the way Kawhi Leonard is treated by NBA refs.
Nurse said that it is “ridiculous” and “unbelievable” that Leonard does not spend more time at the free-throw line given his aggressive style of play.
“You can’t tell me one of the best players in the league takes a hundred hits in that game and shoots four free throws, and they handed him two for charity at the end,” Nurse said in his postgame news conference. “But it’s been going on all year. I do not understand why they are letting everybody play one of the best players in the league so physically.”
Now he’s been fined by the Association for his comments, to the tune of $15,000.
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has been fined $15,000 by the NBA for publicly criticizing officiating on his star Kawhi Leonard.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2018
This fine isn’t surprising, and Nurse had to know it was coming. However, it can only serve to endear him to his players, who have to love the fact he’s coming to the defense of their superstar.