"Refs were paid to make that call" - Trae Young fined $35,000 by NBA for throwing money signs at referee has NBA fans buzzing

Trae Young was fined $35,000 for a hand gesture towards the refs on Sunday. Young threw up a money sign after a controversial call in the Atlanta Hawks 136-126 loss to the Chicago Bulls. The incident occurred with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The NBA released the info in a press release. The gesture was deemed “inappropriate and unprofessional” by the league according to the press release.

Late in the fourth quarter Young made the money gesture by rubbing his fingers together. He was given a technical foul in the game. Young finished the loss with 19 points on 3-of-14 shooting along with 14 assists.

The fine was seen as laughable by NBA fans. They took to NBA twitter to support Trae Young and clown the NBA. Some were with Young and believed the refs made an abhorrent call.

“Refs were paid to make that call,” a fan wrote.

This fan was not the only one on Young’s side. Check out more of the social media reaction to the lofty fine below.

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Trae Young responds to $35,000 fine

Trae Young quickly responded to his $35,000 fine from the NBA. He took to twitter to reveal his thoughts on the matter.

“Hope it’s to a great cause,” Trae Young said.

The accompanying emojis show Young was not too pumped about the fine. The NBA did not release where the fine money would go.

The fine is hefty. However, for Young, it may not be so damaging. The fine is just 0.087 percent of his $40 million salary this season. Young also still has three years left on his five-year, $215 million max deal. He signed the extension during the 2021 offseason.

Young was selected to his third career All-Star Game this season after being named an injury replacement. He is averaging 27.0 points, 10.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game in his fifth year in Atlanta.

The Hawks are struggling to stay in playoff contention at 24-30. They are tenth in the East and in the last play-in tournament spot. After many rumors of selling at the trade deadline, the Hawks kept most of their roster intact for the second half of the season.