Noah says $50,000 fine for slur is ‘fair’

MIAMI (AP) - Joakim Noah says he believes the NBA’s decision to fine him $50,000 for directing an anti-gay slur toward a fan is fair.

Speaking Tuesday morning as the Chicago Bulls prepared to face the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, Noah again acknowledged making a mistake in his back-and-forth with the fan.

The NBA announced the fine Monday afternoon, one day after television cameras caught Noah using a profanity, followed by the slur, after returning to the Chicago bench midway through the opening quarter of Game 3 in Miami.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was fined $100,000 for using the same slur in April, directing it toward a referee.

Noah says the fan reaction he’ll face “is the least of my worries.”