Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome was fined $25K by the NBA on Monday for public criticism of the officiating, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link).
The comments that got Jerome in trouble came after the Cavaliers eked out a 133-129 overtime win against Portland on Sunday.
The game featured a total of 53 fouls and 70 free throws between the two teams, far above their usual rates, and Jerome was asked after the win how difficult it was to get into a rhythm.
“Yeah, I thought the refs were really bad tonight,” he said. “Especially Natalie (Sago), she was really bad. So when stuff like that happens, they kind of lose control of the game and you’ve just got to keep your head. I thought that first half was ridiculous, third quarter was horrendous.”
A $25K fine isn’t significant as far as potential penalties from the NBA go, but it’s more meaningful for Jerome than it would be for many players — his $2,560,975 salary this season is well below the league average.
After missing nearly all of last season due to an ankle injury, Jerome has had an impressive bounce-back year in 2024/25 and is in contention for Sixth Man of the Year honors. In 56 games (two starts) for the East-leading Cavs, he has averaged 12.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.449/.889.
Natalie Sago is an embarrassment.
As extra punishment, Sago will probably be assigned Cavs games in the playoffs.