The NBA announced Wednesday it will fine players for repeated acts of flopping, and at least one player says it’s no more than the league’s brass trying to get paid.
"It's not going to win or lose games for anybody. It's a good way for the NBA to get more money," Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin said.
Griffin's reputation as a flopper once caused Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins to describe him as "an actor" who gets "fouled by the wind".
"I guess it's good in a sense that it stops any of it from happening," Griffin said after the Clippers' open practice and scrimmage at the Galen Center on Wednesday. "But now you're telling me if it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals and a guy has a chance to make a play he's going to be like, 'Well, do I want this $10,000 or do I want a championship?'"
Clippers guard Chris Paul, a board member of the players' union, declined comment through a team spokesperson.
Sounds like Blake is a little annoyed he might have to change things up and watch himself.
An underrated aspect of giving a guy a fine for flopping is the fact that it could be an ego killer. Money probably won't be a huge deal to these guy's but I seriously doubt a guy like Griffin wants to get fined 3-4 times a season. As much as NBA players flop I doubt any of them want to get stuck with the label of being a flopper in the media. Right now it's all speculative or everybody does it. If a guy gets hit multiple times really doubt players want to known as the guy who led the league in fines for flopping.
Sounds like Blake is a little annoyed he might have to change things up and watch himself.
An underrated aspect of giving a guy a fine for flopping is the fact that it could be an ego killer. Money probably won't be a huge deal to these guy's but I seriously doubt a guy like Griffin wants to get fined 3-4 times a season. As much as NBA players flop I doubt any of them want to get stuck with the label of being a flopper in the media. Right now it's all speculative or everybody does it. If a guy gets hit multiple times really doubt players want to known as the guy who led the league in fines for flopping.
Good point. The fines in a sense will serve as the closest thing we have to an unofficial system to monitor and measure the flopping of players. Get fined enough that a story circulates that the league's office is mulling over a particular player's potential to be suspended, and you suddenly become nationally ridiculed.
"But now you're telling me if it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals and a guy has a chance to make a play he's going to be like, 'Well, do I want this $10,000 or do I want a championship?'"
... Then make a legit play to win it, not flop like a little bitch.
$10,000? Holy f***! They better be donating that money to charity or this just isn't right. I hate flopping, but if they're going to take people's money over it, especially if it's ten f***ing thousand dollars, then it should be for a good cause.
"But now you're telling me if it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals and a guy has a chance to make a play he's going to be like, 'Well, do I want this $10,000 or do I want a championship?'"
I don't know what he's getting at here. So it's supposed to be a good thing for a player to fling their body back and flail their arms about in the most crucial game of the season just so they can dishonestly get free throws? What kind of play in a game 7 would this anti-flopping rule prevent?
"But now you're telling me if it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals and a guy has a chance to make a play he's going to be like, 'Well, do I want this $10,000 or do I want a championship?'"
That just about sums it up. Blake sees flopping as a legitimate tool in his arsenal. He considers fooling the refs as an important way to win a championship. Cheating your way to a win is perfectly fine.
"But now you're telling me if it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals and a guy has a chance to make a play he's going to be like, 'Well, do I want this $10,000 or do I want a championship?'"
That just about sums it up. Blake sees flopping as a legitimate tool in his arsenal. He considers fooling the refs as an important way to win a championship. Cheating your way to a win is perfectly fine.
His parents should be real proud.
It has masked the fact that he's a below average defender. Now he has to learn to defend properly without using this poor form of cheating.
Griffin responds to new flopping fines.
