Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton has been fined for flipping off the rim on a missed free throw against the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA announced. He was fined $35,000 for the gesture.
Sexton flashed a middle finger with 1:31 to go in the third quarter of the Bulls’ loss to the Nets. The camera caught it, and the league office also took notice.
“Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton has been fined $35,000 for making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court, it was announced today by James, Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the NBA said in a statement. “The incident occurred with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter of the Bulls’ 123-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 9 at Barclays Center.”
Sexton had 21 points off the bench for the Bulls en route to the loss. It marks Chicago’s fifth straight defeat, and the franchise has not won since before the trade deadline overhaul last week.
The Bulls acquired Sexton in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets which also saw Coby White go back to Charlotte. Chicago received Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks, as well as Sexton, in exchange for White and Mike Conley. The Bulls then waived Dieng and the Hornets waived Conley.
That move was part of a slew of trades Chicago made ahead of the deadline. The Bulls also moved on from guard Ayo Dosunmu, center Nikola Vucevic and guard Kevin Huerter while acquiring young talent such as Sexton, Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons and a slew of second-round picks.
Across 44 games this year – 42 with Charlotte and two with Chicago – Sexton is averaging 14.4 points and 2.0 rebounds. He played college basketball at Alabama, where he averaged 19.2 points per game as a freshman in 2018 before declaring for the NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the No. 8 overall pick.
As he settles in with Chicago’s new-look, guard-heavy roster, Sexton said he sees some potential. For now, it’s about adjusting to the new environment and working with the new core, along with head coach Billy Donovan.
“We definitely can be very special,” Sexton said, via the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan. “For us to have one walk-through and to go out there pretty much jelling, making the right reads, doing this together. It was super fun. At the end of the day, I know something good is coming.”