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Eric Bledsoe: Tweet costs disgruntled Phoenix Suns guard $10,000

By The Sports Xchange
Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) goes to the basket against the Washington Wizards in the first half at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. File photo by Mark Goldman/UPI
Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) goes to the basket against the Washington Wizards in the first half at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. File photo by Mark Goldman/UPI | License Photo

Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe was fined $10,000 by the NBA for a tweet from last month in which he said, "I don't want to be here," general manager Ryan McDonough told AZCentral.com.

McDonough confirmed the comment on Sunday to AZCentral.com but declined to elaborate. The NBA had not announced the fine as of Monday afternoon.

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Bledsoe was sent home by McDonough on Oct. 23, one day after his tweet appeared on social media just hours before the Suns fired coach Earl Watson and replaced him with interim coach Jay Triano.

Bledsoe later tried to put that tweet in context, although McDonough wasn't buying the excuse.

"He said he was at a hair salon. ... I didn't believe that to be true," McDonough said last month. "He won't be with us going forward."

Suns veteran forward Jared Dudley told AZCentral.com that he understands the NBA's position.

"The league doesn't want to set a precedent of players going off on social media," Dudley said. "If you ask (Bledsoe), he probably regrets doing that. He probably would have done something in a different manner.

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"I just think in general you can't even demand a trade when you're doing interviews. Just keep it more in house."

Bledsoe is averaging 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games for the Suns this season -- his fifth with the team. He is entering his eighth NBA season and owns career averages of 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

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