Rodney Hood Was Fined $35,000 For Slapping A Fan’s Phone Away


Getty Image

The NBA has made it clear: don’t slap a cell phone away from a fan no matter how funny it may be.

Rodney Hood found that out the hard way on Friday, as he was suspended $35,000 for slapping away the phone of a fan after he was ejected on Wednesday night. Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, announced the fine.

Hood was ejected for arguing with an official on Wednesday in a game against the Washington Wizards. The Jazz guard then took his anger out on a fan, slapping away a fan’s phone as they appeared to film him as he walked off the court.

Because I find it endlessly funny despite the fact that it’s wrong, here is the incident once more.

View this post on Instagram

Rodney Hood slapping a phone out of a fan’s hand 😂😂

A post shared by Dime (@dimemagazine) on

Outside of a suspension and loss of pay, it’s one of the biggest fines we’ve seen for a player this season. That’s because the NBA wants to make it clear that contact with fans is unacceptable. And it certainly should be! No fan base is allowed more direct access to its athletes than the NBA, but it’s a delicate balance.

And there’s always the looming threat of legal action if something goes wrong. The fan Hood made contact with on Wednesday actually wanted the police to get involved in the incident, though they declined. But the NBA’s justice has been dolled out here, and now we all move on.

×