14 DAY TRIAL // San Antonio Spurs player Stephen Jackson has been fined $25,000 (€19,000) for a tweet dubbed threatening, against Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka.
“Somebody tell serg Abaka. He aint bout dis life,” he posted on Twitter.
“Next time he run up on me im goin in his mouth. That's a promise. He doin 2 much,” he added on Friday, December 7, according to USA Today.
“The recent public comments made by Stephen Jackson are absolutely unacceptable, can not be tolerated and do not reflect the standards held by the San Antonio Spurs,” Spurs General Manager RC Buford responded on Sunday.
Jackson's comments come as a result of Ibaka's confrontation with Metta World Peace, the Los Angeles Lakers forward previously known as Ron Artest. Artest and Jackson were teammates in 2004, when they were both with the Indiana Pacers.
A rep for the San Antonio Spurs mentions that the fine has been “imposed in consultation and coordination between the Spurs and the NBA,” CBS Sports reports.
On Sunday, Jackson issued an apology to Oklahoma City's forward, using the same social networking website, The Oklahoman writes.
“I apologize to @SergeIbaka, the NBA, and to all my fans for the comments I made. It was unprofessional and childish. I'm not a thug just a man who speaks his mind. It was not appropriate. I do apologize. Only a man can admit when he's wrong,” he posted on Twitter.
Jackson and Metta World Peace were both part of the infamous “Malice in the Palace” brawl, in which a fight broke out between players of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. The incident started on the field, but soon evolved as fans got involved, in the 2004 game.
Both were charged with misdemeanor assault, and were suspended for 30 games, Business Insider notes.