The Sacramento Kings were slightly taken down by the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, losing 116-110. Despite playing without Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, the Kings put up a great effort, but they were not happy with the consolation prize.
Sacramento has made their feelings known about the officiating in Wednesday’s game, with many fans and media members taking to social media to express their frustrations. Of course, fans tend to do that, but Kings star DeMar DeRozan took things a step further.
After the game, DeRozan told the media exactly what he thought about the referees in Wednesday’s loss.
“The refs were terrible,” DeRozan said. “Terrible as s**t. Simple as that.”
DeMar DeRozan on the fourth quarter in which the Kings were outscored 32-17 while there was a 13-4 free-throw disparity:
“The refs were terrible. Terrible as shit. Simple as that.”
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) March 6, 2025
Of course, every NBA player knows they cannot say that about the officiating with any consequences. Following DeRozan’s comments, the NBA has announced his punishment, as the Kings star will be handed a $25,000 fine.
“Sacramento Kings guard-forward DeMar DeRozan has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. DeRozan made his comments to the media following the Kings’ 116-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 5 at Ball Arena,” the NBA released.
DeMar DeRozan’s comments after the loss in Denver cost him $25,000 pic.twitter.com/kwampyBxJ8
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 7, 2025
Nobody should be surprised about the hefty fine, as DeRozan likely should have been smarter with his words. The Kings now head into a huge matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, and DeRozan could be playing with a purpose after Wednesday night’s frustrations.
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