Delonte West Fined $25,000 for Giving Gordon Hayward Wet Willy
Say what you want about Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West, but he sure knows how to stay in the headlines.
After sticking his finger in the ear of Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward for a “wet willy” in Monday’s 123-121 triple-OT loss, West was slapped with a $25,000 fine according to Utah Jazz radio voice David Locke:
"Delonte West has been fined 25,000 for his wet willy on Gordon Hayward but no suspension
— David Locke (@Lockedonsports) April 18, 2012"
The incident has never been seen before in the NBA, and West had a rather weak excuse for why he decided to stick his wet finger in another grown man’s ear (via Chicago Sun-Times):
"We are two warriors, out here battling. I forgot the NBA is a gentleman’s game," West said.
The eight-year veteran forgot it’s a gentlemen’s game? Hmm.
Needless to say, Hayward was less than pleased with what happened. He sounded like a man who was contemplating a punch to West’s face right after the incident occurred:
"I wanted to fight right there, but you can’t do that...It wouldn’t have been the smart idea. I’d risk getting a technical foul, getting suspended for the season, whatever. There’s more important things than fighting someone out on the court.
"
Honestly, I think Hayward is trying to sound a bit too much like a tough guy here. In the video, he immediately puts his hands up in the air trying to draw some sort of foul. It didn’t look like he was ready to punch anybody.
Either way, it’s a good thing he didn’t. Now the story is nothing more than a little bit of comedic relief on the court. Nobody is suspended, and West lost a bit of cash—not a big deal.
Thank you, Delonte, for breaking up the monotony of the long season with a good ol’ fashioned wet willy.
