The NBA playoffs begin this weekend, and the league is ramping up its efforts to cut down on embellishment.
The postseason will feature a stricter version of the “anti-flopping” regulations put in place prior to the start of the regular season, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson announced Thursday, under which a player will be assessed a $5,000 fine the first time an official feels he exaggerated a foul in order to draw a call.
Fines will escalate for repeat offenders, with $10,000 being handed out for a second violation, $15,000 for a third, $30,000 for a fourth and “discipline that is reasonable under the circumstances” if the infractions continue.
Players were allowed one warning before being hit with their first fine during the regular season. Nineteen such warnings were handed down, with five players hit with the $5,000 after receiving a second warning. Â Four of those five, Houston’s Omer Asik, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Martin and Brooklyn’s Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace, are on postseason rosters.
It is admirable that the NBA is working to combat the flopping epidemic that has plagued the league for years, but most professional basketball players can find $5,000 in their couch cushions. Until in-game penalties or suspensions are handed out for embellishing, it will continue to be a part of the game.
