NBA star Zach Collins was spotted giving the referee the middle finger after getting ejected from a game.
The incident occurred in the second quarter of the Spurs-Kings matchup in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, Dec. 6, after the forward received back-to-back technical fouls.
In a clip shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Hoop Central, Collins, 27, can be seen pacing the sidelines in the moments after his ejection, then gesturing towards referee Michael Smith as the cameras quickly cut away.
According to NBC Sports, Collins was angry after getting called for a foul against Domantas Sabonis — after it appeared as though Sabonis, 28, may have bumped into Collins first. Collins could be heard yelling, “What the f—?” at Smith, which earned him his first technical. The Spurs sidelined Collins, who then reportedly cursed at Smith yet again, which earned him a second technical and the ejection.
The move will likely cost Collins a hefty fine, as the gesture is in direct violation of the NBA’s official player code of conduct. The basketball association fined Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook $35,000 in November for a similar gesture and fined Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards the same amount just a few days prior to that for making a lewd gesture during a game against the Kings.
This also marks the third-consecutive game in which a player has been ejected in a Kings matchup. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was ejected from a game on Nov. 5, and Houston Rockets player Tari Eason and Rockets coach Ime Udoka were ejected during a game on Dec. 3.
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According to NBA official rules, per ESPN, a player can be ejected if they “receive two technical fouls” or are “called for an unsportsmanlike act twice.” However, a player can technically also be ejected for committing a single “unsportsmanlike act” if the referee deems it necessary.
Collins finished the Dec. 6 match with two points, two rebounds, an assist and three fouls. He is averaging 6.2 points per game for the season overall.
The Kings won the game with a final score of 140-113.
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