Luke Walton Fined $15K: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for verbally abusing an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner during his team's 116-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 12, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt.
Walton appeared incensed in the first quarter of Monday's loss after a foul wasn't called on Kings center DeMarcus Cousins for grappling with Lakers forward Julius Randle and sending him tumbling to the floor.
The Lakers boss proceeded to call a timeout, at which point he walked onto the floor and engaged in a verbal spat with the game official.
"It’s the same thing I said after the game. Our guys aren’t getting…treated right, then I’m going to stand up for them," Walton said Wednesday, per the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli. "It’s what we do as a team. I was raised that team is a family. You stand up for your family, you stand up for your brothers. As a head coach that’s what I’m going to do every time for my guys."
Walton's frustration was also quite possibly a reflection of his displeasure with the Lakers' recent play.
The Purple and Gold have lost a league-high seven games in a row dating back to Dec. 2, and they're winless this month after stringing together a respectable 10-10 start to the season through November.
However, Los Angeles should have two solid shots to get back in the win column in the coming days.
The Lakers will square off against the Brooklyn Nets (6-17) at Barclays Center on Wednesday, and a meeting against the Philadelphia 76ers (6-18) on Friday should offer them a chance to find some rhythm before they clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
