The OKC Thunder may be gearing up for Tuesday's Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but during the hours leading up to tip-off, Jalen Williams finds himself reaching into his piggy bank to adhere to a league-issued penalty.
On Monday, the NBA released a statement revealing they had fined the All-Star $25,000 for "wearing clothing with profane language" during a media session following last Sunday's Game 7 semifinals series-clinching win over the Denver Nuggets.
The article of clothing in question is a shirt associated with the English ska band Madness that reads "F-- Art Lets Dance."
OKC Thunder star has track record of lightly breaking NBA protocol
Though Williams presents himself as, and by all accounts is a stand-up, no-issues individual, this is by no means the first time he's broken league rules relating to fashion.
Even earlier this season, the 24-year-old found himself playing in his first All-Star Game donning grills on his upper-level teeth.
Such a decision goes directly against the league's guidelines on in-game jewelry, as article two of the NBA Rulebook states, "The officials shall not permit players to play with any type of jewelry."
Interestingly enough, he ultimately avoided receiving any penalties for his decision during the illustrious exhibition. Sadly for his wallet, the same cannot be said for his latest postgame shirt choice.
Now, though $25,000 is far from chump change, especially for someone like Williams who's still on his rookie-scale contract, considering he's slated to receive a massive pay-bump via contract extension over the next year or two, in the long run, paying such a fine will by no means break the bank.
Besides, as things currently stand, the forward has other things on his mind -- particularly, a hopeful championship run.
After downing the Nuggets last week, the Thunder are now heading to their fifth Western Conference Finals appearance since migrating to the Sooner State back in 2008 and their first since the 2015-2016 season.
Williams, specifically, has played a major role in OKC's ongoing run, as he's posting impressive per-game averages of 19.6 points, 5.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and just shy of a block through this year's postseason and, most recently, answered arguably the club's biggest title concern with his knock-out punch performance in Sunday's Game 7.
As the Thunder continue on with their playoff journey, J-Dub, and the rest of the club's core, must avoid taking on any other penalties and punishments, for this title-hopeful team can't afford to add on any distractions.