National

Pacers forward Buddy Hield fined $25,000 for 'making an obscene gesture' on the court

Indiana Pacers forward Buddy Hield tried to discreetly tell someone off, but the NBA has eyes everywhere. Hield was fined $25,000 for "making an obscene gesture on the court," the NBA announced Wednesday.

If you missed Hield's obscene gesture when it happened, you're not alone. Hield was "on the court," but wasn't in the game at the time the action occurred. He was sitting on the bench and, unfortunately for Hield, just happened to be on camera when he decided to flip the bird at someone.

Whoops.

Hield initially tried to cover up the gesture by pretending he was scratching his nose. Had he stopped there, he might have gotten away from the incident without a fine. But he really decided to get his point across, and overtly stuck up his middle finger at his intended target. When that gesture is captured on video, you're going to get a fine for it.

Hield signed a four-year, $94 million extension in 2019, so the fine isn't a big deal. In his first full season with the Pacers, Hield is averaging 17.1 points and 5 rebounds per game.