Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane was fined $25,000 on Thursday for forcefully throwing the game ball into the stands at the end of his team’s 110-109 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
After LeBron James missed a turnaround three-point attempt at the buzzer on Tuesday, Bane hurled the ball to the far end of the court, where it deflected off the shot clock and hit spectators seated along the baseline.
Bane, 27, has averaged 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists over 57 games (all starts) in his first season with the Magic, who acquired him last June in a blockbuster trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Earlier Thursday, the NBA issued an identical fine to Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards for the same offense. Edwards’ throw from the far foul line at the beginning of halftime appeared to strike a security official in the head.
Bane was previously fined $35,000 in December for throwing the ball at the back of an unsuspecting opponent, New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
