Make it make sense!
The NBA — a league mocked for its moves — gave a mind-boggling slap on the wrist to Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner after their late-game blowup.
The incident turned the Heat’s 136-120 win into an MMA match with less than two minutes remaining.
It started when Gardner blindsided Pippen Jr. with a cheap bump from behind after a shot. When the refs stayed silent, Pippen Jr. took matters into his own hands, charging back downcourt and delivering a two-handed shove.
The collision sent both players flying into the courtside seats — immediately stirring the benches and forcing teammates to jump in before it could spiral into a full-blown brawl.
The physicality alone made it seem like a massive suspension was coming.
Instead, the league office kept the hammer in the drawer.
The NBA fined Gardner and Pippen Jr. a mere $35,000 each.
WATCH:
Gardner paid for starting the mess, while Pippen Jr. was fined for escalating it.
For a scrap of that magnitude, the $35,000 price tag was an absolute joke — highlighting the NBA’s massive inconsistency.
After all, the league charges a player as much for flipping the bird as it does for putting hands on an opponent.
The receipts from this season alone show how nonsensical the fine book has become:
- Collin Sexton (Chicago Bulls): He was hit with a $35,000 fine in February 2026 for flipping off the rim after a missed free throw against the Nets. There was zero contact or interaction with another human, yet his frustration cost him the same as a violent shove.
- Marcus Smart (Los Angeles Lakers): Smart saw an identical $35,000 disappear from his check in December 2025 for throwing the bird at an official during halftime of a win over the Jazz.
- LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets): He also paid the $35,000 tax in October 2025 after giving a referee the middle finger following a charge call in a blowout loss to the Heat.
READ: NBA Hands Down Weak Suspensions After Pistons-Hornets Brawl Channeled The 90s
The moment a player uses an obscene gesture or puts hands on an opponent, the league office defaults to the $35,000 baseline.
Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts after a fight against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on February 21, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images)
That was reinforced again in February 2026 when Naz Reid and Mouhamed Gueye were each fined $35,000 for a jersey-grabbing altercation that required officials to peel them apart.
While repeat offenders like Anthony Edwards have seen fines climb past $50,000 for flashing “the bird,” the standard rate for a single obscene gesture or a non-punching scuffle remains strangely fixed.
In a league where every angle is on camera, the fine book treats two very different acts as equal offenses.
Pippen Jr. shoved an opponent into the front row, yet he paid the same obscenity tax as players who told a referee — or the rim — to get lost.
As long as the fines remain this inconsistent, the NBA is essentially telling players that bad manners are as dangerous as a two-handed shove.
Make it make sense.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela