The fines against NBA players have gone up, but they don't seem to deter bad behavior
According to Spotrac, at least $36 million in penalties were levied against players last season, up from $6 million the previous year. Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers missed a lot of games last year.
The season began before the tip-off game. The Minnesota Timberwolves player was fined $40,000 for making offensive comments on the photo sharing site. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors was fined for hitting his teammate. Green has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
John Pierce, a professor at Arizona State University, said that the current financial penalties are insignificant when compared with the players net worth. Green will make more than 25 million dollars this season.
He said that time out of a game means less opportunities to set records and earn bonuses. The loss of sponsors can make people behave better.
Khalid Ballouli is the president of the Sports Marketing Association and a University of South Carolina professor. It might be getting harder to ignore.
In an age of social media and interconnectedness, bad behavior on the court can be amplified to a larger audience.
Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns, received a $10 million fine, the league maximum, after an investigation found multiple instances of sexual harassment and discrimination.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who has racked up $3 million in fines for things said and done on the court and on social media since buying the team over 20 years ago, said his behavior is therapy for him.
He said in a CNN interview last week that he would probably be fined again during the season for saying things if the team loses.
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