Joakim Noah was fined $15,000 after his profanity-laced tirade aimed at officials during the Chicago Bulls' 99-70 loss at the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
Noah, who was automatically ejected in the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul, unleashed a burst of invective anger on the game's three referees, pointing at each individually and screaming "F--- you!" before being escorted off the floor Monday night.
Noah, who apologized after the game, seemed relieved he avoided a suspension.
"I think it was fair," he said before Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns. "It was a bad mistake on my part. I have to keep my cool under all circumstances. It's unfortunate I have to pay for it. And I have to move on and just get ready for the game."
Noah said the NBA's discipline was out of his control.
"I was ready for whatever consequences were going to be thrown my way," Noah said. "I'm just happy that I'm able to play [Tuesday] and be there with my teammates."
Noah said his reaction stemmed from how "the game was going."
"I think I was just frustrated with that," Noah said. "I just have to do a better job of keeping my composure. I could've easily been suspended for a game and that would've been really hard for me just not to be able to be there for my teammates. So I can't let things like that happen."
Noah, who had picked up his first technical less than three minutes earlier, earned the second after reacting to a foul call.
Noah's actions came in the midst of one of the Bulls' worst performances of the season. As a team, they shot just 28.2 percent from the field, and the All-Star center conceded he was upset with how the game was going.
"It's a fine," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "To me, it was a frustrating game. It's an emotional game. Obviously, you don't want to lose control of your emotions. It happened. I never thought it warranted suspension. It was probably appropriate. He got fined for cursing."
Information from ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell contributed to this report.
