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Jazz, Pacers hit with hefty fines over NBA’s tanking problem
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- Jazz, Pacers hit with hefty fines over NBA’s tanking problem
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The NBA has a serious tanking problem. Over the last few weeks, there have been multiple instances of teams seemingly taking drastic measures to ensure that they will lose games. The two teams that were scrutinized this month were the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers . After these suspicious incidents, the NBA has fined both the Jazz and the Pacers for their overt tanking.
"Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement released by the NBA. "Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct."
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The Jazz were fined after two consecutive incidents over the last week . During their games against the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat , Utah was in a position to win the game. However, the team decided to bench stars Jaren Jackson Jr and Lauri Markannen in the final quarter despite the game still being close enough. The Jazz lost to the Magic despite leading by 17 points at one point and won against the Heat. The Jazz were fined $500,000 due to these incidents by the NBA.
On the other hand, the Pacers are being punished due to their actions in their game against the Jazz last week. Pascal Siakam did not play in said game, a 131-122 loss to Utah. However, the NBA determined that Siakam, as well as Bennedict Mathurin , Andrew Nembhard , and T.J McConnell, were all fit to play in some capacity. They have been fined $100,000 for their actions.
While tanking has been an unspoken standard in the NBA for a long time now, it's been mostly done quietly without any fanfare. Fans have long complained about the practice, as it makes the games unenjoyable to watch, and watching a team do everything they can to lose is not a good product. However, most teams have at least made it subtle enough for the league to turn a blind eye to it. After these blatant displays, the league has decided that enough is enough.
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