NBA star Zach Collins was spotted giving a referee the middle finger after being ejected from the game.
The incident occurred in the second quarter of the Spurs-Kings game in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, December 6, after the forward received back-to-back technical fouls.
In footage shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Hoop Central, Collins, 27, can be seen pacing the touchline in the moments after he was sent off, then gesturing towards referee Michael Smith as the cameras quickly pan away.
According to NBC Sports, Collins was livid after getting fouled on Domantas Sabonis — after it appeared Sabonis, 28, may have run into Collins first. Collins could be heard yelling, “What the fuck?” at Smith, which earned him his first technical. The Spurs ejected Collins, who then allegedly cursed at Smith again, earning him a second technical and ejection.
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The move will likely cost Collins a hefty fine, as the gesture directly violates the NBA’s official player code of conduct. The NBA fined Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook $35,000 in November for a similar gesture, and just days before the same fine fined Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards for making an obscene gesture during a game against the Kings.
Sacramento Kings’ Keegan Murray (left) and San Antonio Spurs’ Zach Collins on Dec. 6, 2024.
Ronald Cortes/Getty
This also marks the third straight game in which a player has been shut out in a Kings game. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was ejected from a Nov. 5 game, and Houston Rockets player Tari Eason and Rockets coach Ime Udoka were ejected during a Dec. 3 game.
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According to the NBA’s official rules, a player can be ejected if he “receives two technical fouls” or is “called twice for an unsportsmanlike conduct.” However, a player can technically also be sent off for committing an “unsportsmanlike act” if the referee deems it necessary.
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Collins finished the match on December 6 with two points, two rebounds, an assist and three fouls. Overall, he averages 6.2 points per game.
The Kings won the game with a final score of 140-113.
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Source: HIS Education