Knicks Player Fined $25K for Tweeting Photo of Semi-Nude Woman

New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith has been fined $25,000 for tweeting an "inappropriate" photo of a scantily-clad woman, the National Basketball Association said Saturday night.

Smith tweeted the photo late Thursday night from his hotel room in Milwaukee while the team was on the road. It showed a semi-nude woman lying on her side with her back to the camera wearing only a T-shirt and thong underwear, Deadspin reported.

Smith appeared to have subsequently deleted the photo, though that did little to prevent it from being circulated on the Internet.

Smith told reporters Friday he regretted posting the tweet, ESPN reported.

"I didn't know it was going to be as big a deal as it is now," Smith said. "I definitely regret it. Anytime I do anything that takes away from our team, I'm definitely going to regret it."

Below is a cropped version of the photo; the full one can be viewed here(warning -- mature content).

After initial media reports about the photo swirled, Smith posted a tweet directly to the woman in the photo: "Things are being taken [too] far sorry @therealtahiry."

According to ESPN, the Knicks declined to comment on Smith's tweet or the NBA's decision to fine him.

Smith is a teammate of Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, whose "Linsanity" craze gripped the nation last month.