The NBA has fined Phoenix Suns rookie forward Josh Jackson $35,000 for making a hand gesture toward a fan that appeared to mimic pulling a trigger.
The league announced the penalty Tuesday, saying that Jackson was fined for "making a menacing gesture on the playing court and directing inappropriate language" toward the fan.
The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the Suns' 130-88 loss Saturday at the Staples Center to the LA Clippers.
Jackson told reporters Monday that he wasn't mimicking a gun and that he did not regret his actions.
"That's what most people thought I was (doing), but I actually wasn't making a gun," Jackson said, according to azcentral.com. "I kind of wanted to put up the middle finger to him, but I didn't do that because I felt like I was really being watched so I kind of halfway did it."
According to Jackson, the fan had been heckling him throughout Saturday's game. He said he needs to learn to not react to fans in that manner.
"He called me a few names as I was coming out of the game so that's what really set me off," Jackson said, according to azcentral.com. "But it had been going on from the same guy the entire game. Fans can come and sit so close and say whatever they want to say and us as players can't react in any type of way. It's something I'm still learning."
