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DeMarcus Cousins’ first few weeks in New Orleans haven’t been going so smoothly. The big man has been putting up numbers as always, but the Pelicans are just 2-6 during his time there, and he was suspended for their game against the Pistons on March 1 for accumulation of technical fouls. More bad news came Thursday afternoon, as the league fined Cousins $50,000 for inappropriate language toward fans. 

The two outbursts (which you can see here, and here) have caught fire on social media, as fans have passed around videos of Cousins responding to hecklers with some NSFW language. 

It’s understandable that the league is coming down with a stiff fine for Cousins in response to these videos, as they can’t have one of their stars cursing at fans. And especially with Cousins’ track record, he isn’t going to get any leeway from Kiki VanDeWeghe and company. 

I do, however, feel for Cousins in these situations. Fans turn on their video recorders and heckle him non-stop in the hopes that he’ll eventually respond with something they can put out on social media. And while yes, in a perfect world, Cousins would ignore them, it’s just not that easy. No matter how much money he makes, Cousins is a person just like the rest of us, and sometimes you snap back. 

Should the NBA have fined him? Yes. Does this make Cousins a bad guy? No. 

Later Thursday afternoon, Blazers point guard Damian Lillard chimed in on the fine, noting that $50K is a lot of money for “saying something back to fan.” He also added that he too has had some harsh words thrown his way. 

Lillard’s comments serve as a reminder that unfortunately too many fans often cross a line when they direct comments toward athletes.