‘This Is Asinine’ ESPN’s Jason Fitz Gets Heated After NBA Gives Dallas Mavericks ‘Slap on the Wrist’ Fine for Tanking
Jason Fitz and Harry Douglas were extremely disappointed with how the Dallas Mavericks were punished by the NBA for tanking at the end of the 2022 season.
The league began an investigation on the Mavs when they sat several key players – including Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic – despite still being in playoff contention. On Friday, the NBA announced it had fined the Mavs $750,000 for “conduct detrimental to the league.”
Douglas believes that’s simply not enough.
“I think they had an opportunity, at this moment, to make an example out of the Dallas Mavericks to let everyone know that this is not what the NBA is about and we’re not gonna condone it,” Douglas said during the duo’s Friday episode of Fitz & Harry on ESPN Radio, “and they didn’t do it. $750,000, to an owner like Mark Cuban, is a slap on the wrist.”
“$750,000 to an owner like Mark Cuban is a slap on the wrist.”@HDouglas83 and @jasonfitz strongly disagree with the NBA’s decision to only fine the Dallas Mavericks after the team openly violated the league’s player resting policy. pic.twitter.com/kPW1tAm50E
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) April 14, 2023
In the NBA’s announcement, league Executive Vice President Joe Dumars said the Mavericks “undermined the integrity of our sport” and “failed our fans.” To Fitz, the fine did not match these harsh words and will only encourage teams to do the same.
“So what the league is telling you is their investigation showed them what we think is right, and they’re telling you it’s 750,000 bucks,” Fitz said. “You wanna tell me that every team won’t pay a million dollars to try and get a better slot in the draft? This is asinine by the league. This is soft by (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver.
“You cannot tell me that $750,000 is a deterrent.”
According to the league, the Mavs “violated the league’s player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization’s desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.” Fitz added that a proper punishment would have been the forfeiture of that pick.
It is the second time the on-again, off-again presidential hopeful Cuban has had to pay a tanking-related fine.
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