For those who were not in the Uptown arena for the Bobcats win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, the AP reports:
Atlanta forward Josh Smith made obscene gestures to the crowd as he left for the locker room following his second-quarter ejection Saturday night in the Hawks’ game against Charlotte.
Smith raised both middle fingers to the crowd as he was about halfway through the tunnel, apparently reacting to being heckled by fans.
Classy. Just the kind of premium entertainment I’m looking for — bring the whole family.
Last year Smith was fined $15,000 for criticizing NBA refs. In 2005 Smith won the NBA Slam Dunk competition and was also suspended for two games for elbowing an opponent. At 18 years-old, in 2004 Smith was the 17th pick in the draft, coming straight from the prep hoops powerhouse of Oak Hill Academy.
David Stern might want to argue otherwise, but in 2007, Josh Smith is by no means a rarity among NBA players. A heavily hyped and marketed multi-millionaire with little regard or respect for the people paying his salary.
Update: Smith was fined $25,000 for his little protest in Charlotte.
