The NBA and San Antonio Spurs have fined Stephen Jackson $25,000 over a “hostile statement” aimed at Oklahoma City Thunder’s Serge Ibaka.
The joint action by the NBA and the Spurs followed a tweet sent by Jackson Friday. Ibaka tussled with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace in a game Friday, and Jackson defended his friend and former Indiana Pacers teammate World Peace on Twitter.
“Somebody tell serg Abaka. He aint bout dis life. Next time he run up on me im goin in his mouth. That’s a promise. He doin 2 much,” Jackson wrote in a now-deleted tweet.
R.C. Buford, the Spurs general manager, said Jackson’s comments were unacceptable and can’t be tolerated. Jackson apologized for his remarks, saying it was “unprofessional and childish.”
It should be noted that Jackson had several run-ins with Ibaka, including one earlier this season, after which he said, “Ibaka was running his mouth a little too much. I will never get disrespected by nobody. I’m going to go out a man.”
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