Kenyon Martin wasn’t entirely silent, but he wasn’t far from it as he walked past the media corps Tuesday asking for his reaction to the $15,000 fine the NBA handed him. He did whistle.
But the Nuggets forward left all other interpretation to others a day after the league cited him for cursing near fans last week.
“Obviously we don’t condone any of that type of behavior, but I think it does happen,” general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. “We’ll try to do better in the future.”
Added coach George Karl, “I hope Kenyon respects the decision, and we move on and learn from it.”
The Nuggets will not pursue further punishment of anyone involved in the incident. Multiple witnesses saw Martin cursing fans after Denver’s home loss to Chicago on Feb. 8. Two fans also complained that Martin sent a friend into the stands during the game after one of them heckled him, a charge Martin and the Nuggets dispute.
Vandeweghe called the NBA’s action “sufficient.”
“The fans were spoken to,” he said. “I have personally spoken to some of them. The issue you have is there’s a lot of conflicting reports out there about what actually was said and what was done. What we can establish for certain was there was inappropriate language used around fans. Never directed to a fan. That’s what we can establish at the moment. That’s what everyone agrees with.”
When he met with the media, Vandeweghe said he had not talked to Martin. Neither Martin’s agent nor a spokesman for the league’s players association could be reached for comment to see if an appeal would be filed.
Karl said he did not know the specifics of Martin’s case but welcomed the added scrutiny the NBA has shown to situations like this.
“I’m supportive of the NBA being more attentive to developing a more positive image,” he said. “I think the players association, the players, the coaches, everybody is desirous of more control from that standpoint.”
The two fans who alleged Martin’s friend threatened them during the game had different reactions to the fine. Donald Miller, who was mistaken for Martin’s heckler, called the punishment fair. He said he spoke Tuesday with Vandeweghe, whom he called a “true gentleman.”
Miller added of Martin, “He needs to move on and help get us a championship.”
But Ronald Souza, who admitted to heckling Martin, said he had not heard from the team.
“I’m glad that something was done about it, but it really wasn’t done for the right thing, I think,” he said. “It’s probably not going to hurt him too much. He’s got tons of money.”
Asked if he would pursue further action, Souza said, “If they snub me completely and ignore me totally, I might have to look into it.”
Meanwhile, Martin’s name continues to bubble up in trade rumors involving New York and Orlando. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Nuggets were not believed to have spoken with the Knicks in several days.
Asked about the rumors, Vandeweghe replied: “I like our core group of guys. I’d like to give them a chance to play healthy together, but we’re always looking to improve our team so I won’t tell you that we’re not going to do anything.”
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
