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Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin was slapped with a $15,000 fine Monday for his “obscene gesture” against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
The obscene gesture, as seen in this YouTube clip, and in the GIF above, is better known as the “Sam Cassel dance.” Cassel, a former Wolves point guard, made the dance famous years ago. The video of Cassel’s celebration is tough to find, but Lakers star Kobe Bryant is one of many players that have emulated Cassel.
“When I saw Kobe do it, I knew it was big-time,” Cassell told ESPN’s Marc Stein last year.
Here’s the video of Martin’s clutch 3-pointer against the Bulls, which gave Minnesota a one-point lead with 2.9 seconds left in the game. The Wolves still lost, but it was exciting nonetheless.
Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic was fined the same amount for doing the same dance last season. Following Nelson’s fine, the NBA’s Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association Ron Klempner told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that the dance is “done in fun.”
“Some may view it in bad taste, or misinterpret it, but I think this kind of discipline is disproportionate,” Klempner added.
Martin leads the Timberwolves in scoring, averaging 22.5 points per game.
