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Jalen Suggs drew a stiff NBA punishment for a bizarre mouthpiece throw incident.
The NBA fined Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs $25,000 after he hurled his mouthpiece into the stands during an in-game moment. The incident quickly drew attention across the league, raising questions about whether the NBA’s response could carry further consequences.
“Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been fined $25,000 for throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of the spectator stands, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the NBA announced in a statement Saturday morning. “The incident, for which Suggs was assessed a technical foul, occurred with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter of the Magic’s 130-111 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 19 at Spectrum Center.”
Suggs reacted in a rather unusual fashion after a collision with the Hornets’ star LaMelo Ball in the first quarter, taking out his mouthpiece and flinging it into the stands in the direction of fans.
That did not go over well with veteran referee Scott Foster, who according to a 2025 study by journalist Owen Philips is the NBA’s “most active whistleblower.”
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JAN. 10: Referee Scott Foster #48 runs down the court during the first half in a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks at the United Center.
First Major Fine For Jalen Suggs
The technical foul was the team-high ninth of the season for Suggs. Each previous tech came with a standard $2,000 fine. Suggs was even ejected on Nov. 25 in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers for receiving two technical foul calls, which results in an automatic ejection under NBA rules.
But the $25,000 fine was the first penalty in Suggs’ five-season career to exceed the standard $2,000 levy for a technical foul. The punishment immediately raised the total amount that Suggs has paid in fines in his career from $28,000 to $53,000.
The Hornets went on to win the game 130-111, their fourth win in five games and ninth in their last 12.
Suggs played 21 minutes, 54 seconds in the game, scoring nine points, well below his season average of 13.8. The 24-year-old, who was Orlando’s first-round draft pick — fifth overall out of Gonzaga — added one assist and two steals but did not grab a rebound.
GettyJalen Suggs (r) makes a play in Orlando’s 130-111 loss to the Hornets.
Second Fine For an Orlando Magic Player This Season
While Suggs leads the Orlando Magic this season in technical fouls, he does not lead the team in fines.
Another NBA player, Desmond Bane, was fined $25,000 on Feb. 26 for the second time in the 2025-26 campaign.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEB. 24: Desmond Bane #3 celebrates a three-point basket during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Bane was fined for “throwing the game ball with force into the spectator stands,” according to an NBA statement.
The $25,000 fine is not likely to make much of a dent in Suggs’ bank account. Suggs is playing the first season of a five-year contract extension that pays him $35 million this year as part of a $150 million deal.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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