Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson has been fined $25,000 for making public comments in an attempt to influence the officiating, the league announced on Thursday.
Jackson’s comments came during his press conference following his team’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets, and the offending remarks can be seen in the video clip above.
Nuggets head coach Gorge Karl gave his rebuttal, and Jackson went back at him once more in the days leading up to Thursday night’s Game 6 in Oakland.
Coaches talking about the officiating in anything resembling a negative manner usually results in a fine, although the “attempt to influence” designation of the infraction is usually reserved for those who make subtle or not-so-subtle remarks like these over the course of a playoff series.
Phil Jackson, in his days with both the Bulls and the Lakers, was the master of using this strategy to his team’s advantage.