5 most expensive fines in NBA history
By virtue of being an organization, the NBA has its set of rules and regulations that teams are expected to follow. Failure to do so results in penalties ,which may be levied on players, coaches, owners or even teams.
The role of the NBA commissioner is to make sure these penalties or fines are dealt out to ensure that teams stay in line with the rules of the league. With 7676 players penalized till date, the league has amassed a total of over $27 million just out of fines.
Most fines against players are as a result of criticism of referees or unsportsmanlike conduct after foul calls. But there have been instances when fines can have heavier connotations.
As the NBA continues to expand in popularity and players make more money off its success, fines on entities for not being in line with NBA regulations have gotten significantly heftier. On that note, here's a look at the five most expensive fines in NBA history.
#5 Ben Simmons - $381,181
After one of the most disappointing performances of his career, Ben Simmons became the laughing stock of the NBA. Facing harsh criticism for his disappearing act in the playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons voiced his discontent with the Philadelphia 76ers organization and requested a trade.
Going as far as refusing to join the team's training camp and cutting off contact with anyone associated with the team, Simmons put down the gauntlet. However, that expectedly led to some severe consequences.
For missing his training camp days as well as preseason games while still under contract with the 76ers, Simmons was fined $381,181 on consecutive occasions. Listed as an off court violation, Simmons was also fined $360,305 for the same earlier in the month of October.
Over the course of ten days (from 4th to 14th October), Ben Simmons was fined $1,482,972. He has officially returned to play for the 76ers, and will shortly join the team after clearing re-conditioning.
Ben Simmons could return to Sixers this week and may speak directly with Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey, which he hasn’t done since he requested a trade.
Ben Simmons will have been fined $1 million after tonight’s game, according to @wojespn
espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
#4 Kyrie Irving - $408,445
Kyrie Irving has been gaining notoriety for choosing to do things like taking a stand against the organization for his own beliefs and causes. Gw has emerged as an extremely polarizing character in the sporting world.
Although his current stance on vaccination mandates is snowballing, Irving is no stranger to hefty fines from the NBA. During the 2020-21 season, Kyrie Irving's presence on the court for the Brooklyn Nets was sporadic, to say the least. Opting to leave the team for days on end for personal reasons, Irving's availability for head coach Steve Nash was always a concern.
Earlier this year, almost midway through the 2020-21 season, Irving was fined $408,445 four times, from the 12th of January to the 18th. Irving had been absent from the Nets since 7th January, and around that time a video surfaced of him at a family gathering on social media.
The NBA has fined the Nets' Kyrie Irving $50,000 for violating the league's health and safety protocols and assigned him a five-day quarantine
He will forfeit more than $400,000 in salary per game for those missed during quarantine at a rate of 1/81.6 of his season salary https://t.co/oaj4u0dWHm
While he did eventually return to the side, he had to cough up fines worth $1,633,780 for his absence from the team.