Kevin Durant Reportedly Fined $25,000 for Making Gesture vs. Warriors

It appears that the NBA has taken action against Kevin Durant for his gesture against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

According to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman, Durant was fined $25,000 for making a “menacing gesture.”

Durant was fined on account of this gesture after a Russell Westbrook block led to a big slam dunk:

It was a big night for Durant, who scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting.  He was also just two assists shy of a triple-double, recording 10 rebounds and eight assists en route to an Oklahoma City Thunder 116-97 win.

The win put the Thunder in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs with just three games remaining.

According to ESPN.com, Durant had this to say after the game:

"

'It's nothing against the team I'm playing against,' Durant said of his animated moves, adding that somebody encouraged him to do it following a highlight dunk. 'Come out with a mindset and be friends after the game.'

"

Unfortunately, David Stern and the NBA didn’t feel the same way.  Many were upset about the gesture due to the violent action it implied. 

From Durant's perspective, the fine is nothing more than a slap on the wrist.  For a player who is making over $17 million this season, $25,000 isn’t too big of a deal.

The NBA clearly felt that something must be done, and it made sure to at least hand out a fine.  While it’s not a big one, it gets the message across that these kind of gestures poorly represent the league.