Nate Robinson Fined $10,000 for Altercation with Thunder Center Steven Adams

Nate Robinson took a shot at Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Steven Adams, so the NBA is hitting the Denver Nuggets guard right back—by fining him a cool $10,000.

The league officially announced Robinson's punishment in a brief, two-sentence release on NBA.com.

The incident occurred Oct. 15 when the Thunder and Nuggets squared off in Oklahoma City, but it was overshadowed by Kevin Durant's 36-point outburst.

KD torched the nets from long range, drilling 13-of-20 shots in just 23 minutes.

In the grand scheme of on-court scuffles, Robinson's offense wasn't a particularly big deal—especially considering the size discrepancy between the 5'9" guard and OKC's 7'0" center. 

But if you watch the following video closely, it's clear that Robinson administers a shove and then takes a quick swing at the rookie.

Adams didn't react at all, which was probably wise given the league's desire to use the preseason to send messages about what conduct won't be tolerated.

This is par for the course from the confrontational Robinson, who mixed it up with C.J. Watson during last year's playoffs.

At least Robinson, a former defensive back at the University of Washington, has started picking bigger targets.

Really, though, this is part of what Denver signed up for when it acquired the backup guard. Almost all of Robinson's value is tied up in his high-energy, attacking style. Aggression and a defiant attitude are both part of his makeup, and without a chip on his shoulder (or, more accurately, a textbook Napoleon Complex), he probably wouldn't be nearly as effective on the court.

Besides, this fine is far less awkward than the one he notoriously incurred back in 2009:

This won't be the last scrum Robinson starts, and the Nuggets probably aren't all that concerned about it. In fact, they're probably glad to see his feistiness is already in midseason form.