League fines Pierce for menacing gesture

[FLCeltsFan]

This just in from the NBA office:

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and Washington Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson have each been fined $25,000 for making menacing gestures during games played this weekend, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident involving Pierce occurred in the fourth period of the Celtics’ 102-93 Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 26. The incident involving Stevenson occurred in the first period of the Wizards’ 100-97 Game 4 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 27.

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/celtics/index.php/2008/04/28/pierce-fined/

The NBA.... where amazing happens....

[crownsy]

what sign did deshawn make? did he gesture in the direction of the king?

[NoraG1]

And yet nothing for Horford's taunting?

[liam]

And yet nothing for Horford's taunting?

Yeah that's amazing. Horford was yelling all kinds of crap and gesturing as well.

[nickagneta]

My lord, what has happened to the people in charge of this league? $25,000 for a "menacing gesture"? You have got to be kidding me! If I'm Pierce or Stevenson I've got my lawyer,agent and union rep all over this, protesting the hell out of this. And it would be simply out of principle and not because of the money.

Players shove each other, swear at each other, threaten(maybe that's a strong word but you know what I mean) each other all the time during the year. Suddenly a "menacing hand gesture" gets you fined and these other things don't?

So the league is saying it is okay for Pierce to walk down the sidelines screaming at Horford just so long as he doesn't use that "menacing hand gesture". This is ludacrious.

[Bahku]

This is the absurdity of the year! Really awful the double-standard that the league sets ... shame on them. Terrible.

[Amonkey]

Here is the video.  I just saw it.  No big deal at all!  What is wrong with the league?  Pierce didn't do anything wrong, and Stevenson is just being a Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline..  That's fine, you don't have to fine him for it.  There are a lot of worse things going on, like Manu flopping everytime somebody breathes on him and all the trash talking that is still not worthy of any fines.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1k4bh9FFrHM

[Who]

Think they noticed all the threads around forums about the possible gang sign?

Really wierd to see this type of action. I don't even remember Stevenson's from that game, did they just add him in so Pierce wouldn't be the only one?

[ma11l]

Stevenson's gesture can be found in the thread about Jay Z and his lyrics about Stevenson.  It is a lot worse than what Pierce did.  This really is a joke.  Bad call number one was not giving Horford a tech, but that is understandable because it could've been missed.  The League has the time and the videotape to look at what Paul did in-depth and it truly is a joke, Bad call number two.

[casCELTIC]

Think they noticed all the threads around forums about the possible gang sign?

Uh, yeah.
http://www.google.com/search?q=nba+gang+sign

[RebusRankin]

Not worth a fine imho. So Horford gets nothing and Pierce gets fined. The NBA League Office: Where Stupidity Happens.

[steve]

What is their definition of a menacing gesture?  Obviously they beleive that to be a gang sign.  And this is purely speculation, having not been in a gang yet, but I don't think that Pierce meant "you have 3 to go to beat us"  They way he "flashed" it.  They way his temper was at high level.  Obviously someone told the NBA that that is unequivicolly a gang sign.  

I know someone put the Jose Calderon pic up of doing the same sign but Jose probably just hit a three he wasn't flashing it at anybody.    

[screwedupmaniac]

WHAT??? what about joe johnson's body slam that he gave paul pierce??? shoulda been an ejection, suspension, and fine on that, no question about it. that's the type of BS that ends careers, and there was clearly no play on the ball at all. i'd be furious if i was pierce right now, although he clearly did START to saunter towards their bench...i think it's that moreso than the hand signal that got him fined. kind of a reminder from the league of what NOT to do during a game.

anyways, lets hurry up and put these amateur idiots away loudly, quickly and efficiently in the next 2 games.

[RAcker]

Not worth a fine imho. So Horford gets nothing and Pierce gets fined. The NBA League Office: Where Stupidity Happens.

So when Pierce and Cassell are making the "I've got a big set of b*lls" gesture back during the regular season game in Atlanta, that's okay.  But see, this gesture was menacing!

Next time Stu Jackson is out in public, someone ought to kick him in the b*lls and then stand over him making that ridiculous throat slitting gesture just to make a point.  Then say, "Well, what was more offensive, the kick or this stupid gesture I'm making?"

[jimmyt]

The NBA.. where you can no longer show emotion of any kind happens.

This is ubsurd. Pierce gets screamed over on the court, doesnt retaliate in any way, and gets fined $25,000? ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Ive seen the clip, we all have. What would throwing a gang sign out to Al Horford do? I'm sure Pierce wants a gang to attack Al Horford because he talked trash right? This is such a joke.

Pierce held up three fingers people. THREE FINGERS. It can mean anything, and i would love anyone to prove to me right now that it is a gang sign. Show me a picture, a video, anything. Holding up three fingers should not mean throwing gang signs.

EDIT: I googled "gang signs", and the gesture pierce made can be compared to the B.K. gang symbol, but there is no PROOF that that is what it was. Players make that gesture all the time, does the NBA and B.K. gang have some sort of secret pact that we dont know about?..... come on.

If this was a white player, it would mean nothing. Because Pierce is Black, people automatically wonder if it could be a gang sign. Because Pierce grew up in Inglewood and is Black, hes gang affiliated? PLEASE.

Wouldnt it make morse sense to assume that the captain of the Boston Celtics is holding up three fingers stating that the hawks have to win three more games if they want to celebrate anything? Pierce wasnt going into that bench, he was making a statement. Come try beating us once more. The only reason Scal got up is because he wanted to touch the court at least once in the playoffs.

This is a joke. Pierce better not have to pay a cent to the NBA.