NEW YORK � LeBron James has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for kicking a water bottle during Cleveland�s victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The announcement was made Thursday by Stu Jackson, the league�s executive vice president of basketball operations.
The NBA says James kicked a water bottle with 12.4 seconds left in the first quarter of the Cavaliers� 109-95 win Wednesday night. Last year�s league MVP, James was rested for the entire fourth quarter as Cleveland protected a big lead. He finished with 12 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in 31 minutes.
James is averaging 29.6 points per game, second in the NBA to Denver�s Carmelo Anthony (29.7). Riding a six-game winning streak, the Cavaliers have the league�s best record at 36-11.