LeBron James fined $15,000 for making an "obscene gesture" during game
CBSN
The NBA has fined LeBron James $15,000 for making an "obscene gesture" during the Los Angeles Lakers 124-116 win against the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers star performed the gesture, which is commonly referred to as the "Sam Cassell dance," after hitting a clutch three-point shot in the fourth quarter on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet was fined the same amount for the gesture. Over the years, several players have been fined for the celebration, including Marco Belinelli, Caron Butler, Eddie Jones, and Jameer Nelson.
Cassell, the former NBA point guard and current Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach, popułarized the dance in 2004 after watching the 1994 film "Major League II," in which a player taunts others with the same gesture. "I just took it and I ran with it," Cassell told The Athletic in 2019.
