Montrezl Harrell Fined $25K for Yelling 'Shut the F--k Up' Toward Heckling Fan

David Sherman/Getty Images

The NBA fined Los Angeles Clippers power forward Montrezl Harrell "for directing inappropriate language toward a fan," according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

Harrell was caught by cameras telling a heckling fan to "shut the f--k up now" in the fourth quarter of the Clips' 130-120 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

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The moment occurred with 7:57 left in the game as T-Wolves guard Jeff Teague stepped to the line for a free throw. Harrell, who was on the low block, responded to a fan making remarks that were not caught on camera.

NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki Vandeweghe announced the fine.

This isn't the first time an NBA player has been fined $25,000 for an interaction with fans this season. 

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant was docked for "inappropriate language" in November, and Los Angeles Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley was also fined for "throwing the game ball at a spectator."

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson also got fined $15,000 for a middle finger toward Brooklyn Nets fans. 

Granted, players shouldn't be cursing at fans or throwing up middle fingers. But it's also hard for them to stay 100 percent professional when the insults can be rampant or jump well over a line.

Durant was repeatedly called a "cupcake," per TMZ Sports, and the Dallas Mavericks fan who berated Beverley insulted his mother, per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

But the issue for players is that their actions have a better chance of getting caught on camera with everyone in the crowd holding smartphones. The scrutiny is higher than ever, and fans aren't going to stop the insults, so players are in a no-win situation when they choose to engage with spectators.