The 16 Biggest Fines in NBA History

Did you know the NBA has its own constitution? And one of the main things it outlines is the power the league office holds in deciding suspensions, fines, and many other punishments we have seen throughout league history. This article will discuss those punishments and detail the worst ones the league has ever given down. We have singular fines towards owners for comments about officials, racist remarks, or complaints that owners think they're cheating the system. These are big moments in our league history, expensive mistakes that cost much more than technical fouls.

We're also counting situations where the totality of the fines, suspensions, and punishments stemming from a single event are added together to represent one total that will be counted (see the number one spot on this list). So keep reading to learn about the biggest fines in NBA history, who had to pay, and what they did to deserve it.

16. Joe Lacob – $500,000

For Comments regarding the NBA Luxury Tax.

The league came down on the Warriors owner after he appeared on a podcast alongside Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. On “Point Forward,” Lacob discussed the luxury tax system, complaining that it is unfair. The league said he was fined for “unauthorized communications regarding collective bargaining.”

It's hilarious in the grand scheme of things, with Lacob mentioning how he thinks it's wrong that owners believe the Warriors “checkbook won” their championships.

“I went back to New York this week for labor meetings. I’m on the committee. And you know, obviously, the league wants everyone to have a chance, and right now, there’s a certain element out there that believes we “checkbook win,” we won because we have the most salaries on our team.” 

Joe Lacob via Point Forward

15. Joe Dumars – $500,000

For Leaking Confidential League Memos.

Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a $500,000 Wojbomb on Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars in 2010 after it was found Dumars provided him with information about confidential league memos. The NBA found that insiders were being supplied with too much information and conducted a sting operation to see which NBA GMs, executives, or franchises were the source of the leaks. 

It's incredible to me that a league of millionaires can have such a profound number of idiots. The NBA took the most straightforward route to find the rat, sending differently worded memos to every team and seeing which version would eventually be leaked to the press. Through this method, Dumars was caught red-handed. He was leaking information to Woj in return for favorable coverage of himself and the Pistons. And he needed it because Joe Dumars was one of the worst GMs in the entire league.

14. Micky Arison – $500,000

For Publically Criticizing the League and Owners on Twitter.

Sometimes running your mouth on social media can feel good. Getting things off your chest, subtweeting an ex-girlfriend who broke your heart, or in some cases venting your frustrations about an NBA lockout as an active NBA owner. While I'm almost sure I'll never experience that last part, Miami Heat owner Micky Arison did, and it cost him a hefty $500,000 sum. 

This was breaking new ground for the league, as it was 5x the amount any previous owner had been fined for voicing detrimental comments about the NBA in public. In years prior, Michael Jordan and Ted Leonis received fines of $100,000 for disparaging comments surrounding the league's business practices. Arison's fine upped the anti and voided the agreed-upon mandate that doesn't allow NBA owners and executives to publically discuss the lockout or negotiations that were taking place at the time.

Among the hilarious tweets, a fan asked Micky Arison on Twitter his thoughts about Los Angeles Clippers Owner Donald Sterling, to which he simply replied, “lol.” You can take what you will from that tweet. Still, later, when the NBA issued the then-largest fine in history to Sterling for racist comments (keep reading to find out more about that situation), Arison was very vocal in disparaging Sterling publically. 

13. Vladimir Radmanovic – $500,000

For Injuring himself Snowboarding, prohibited in his NBA contract.

Poor Vladimir. He might've received the largest fine issued relative to his salary. The $500,000 punishment was handed to him after he returned to the Lakers after the All-Star Break with a separated shoulder. He initially lied to the front office and his coach Phil Jackson, saying he slipped and fell on a path of ice. However, it was found out later that he injured himself while snowboarding, which was prohibited in his contract.

The $500,000 fine was almost 10% of his $5.2 million contract with the Lakers. He was limited to only 55 games and averaged 6.6 points per game.

12. Mark Stevens – $500,000, lifetime ban.

For Physically Pushing a Player.

Mark Stevens, a minority stake owner in the Golden State Warriors Organization, was fined $500,000 and banned for life over an incident in Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals. 

While the two anchors in the video go on to discuss the incident, it's the Jeff Van Gundy piece that sticks out to me. This man got on National TV and said he was on Steven's side. While it didn't look bad in the grand scheme of things, it's still a fan pushing an NBA talent during a game that is strictly not allowed. When you account for the obscenities, which proves that the push (however weak) was, in fact, malicious, it justifies the fine and suspension. 

Just imagine how heavily the producers were screaming in the ear of Van Gundy. Everyone in unison just like, “No! Take it back, take it back now!”.

11. Mark Cuban – $500,000

For Public Comments disparaging NBA Officials.

Mark Cuban is infamous for being fined. This will not be his last appearance on this list; let me tell you that for free. But in my opinion, this is the funniest. Notorious for berating officials, Cuban let loose an all-timer to pick up this fine. 

A two-year owner by the 2002 season, Mark had already been fined multiple times. Multiple $25,000, $100,000, and one $250,000 fine had already been stacked against him, but his chart-topper came when he criticized referee Ed Rush after a game, providing us with this all-time quote.

“Ed Rush might have been a great ref, but I wouldn’t hire him to manage a Dairy Queen. His interest is not in the integrity of the game or improving the officiating,” 

Was this worth the $500,000 fine issued by the league? You'll have to ask Mark Cuban that, but it is objectively hilarious. 

10. Mark Cuban – $500,000

For Criticizing Referees.

Mark Cuban might be the most well-known NBA owner in the world. He is a regular on the television series Shark Tank, is on the sidelines for most of the Maverick's home games, and routinely criticizes the NBA and its officials. While Cuban has racked up a significant number of fines—which he matches and donates to charity—his largest came on March 6th, 2020, to the tune of $500,000.

In a February 22nd game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks, Cuban was furious over an overturned goaltending call. After the game, the owner took to Twitter to voice his thoughts surrounding the NBA's referees. 

“Just when you think the NBA officiating can’t get any worse, guess again. This is absurd.”

“So they call a goaltend. They literally blew the whistle that it was a goaltend. There was a putback after the whistle. After review they said no goaltend but count the basket ? WTF is that ? That’s NBA officiating.”

“But wait there is more. 1 of the refs told us it was an inadvertent whistle, so it was not goaltending. Doesn’t matter that people stopped. They thought the whistle came after the putback. So the basket counted. So what they reviewing if it wasn’t a goaltend?”

–Mark Cuban, Feb 22nd. Since deleted tweet. 

The Dallas Mavericks challenged the game's result, but commissioner Adam Silver determined it was invalid. Issuing the response, you see below.

“The league’s investigation included an analysis of the game footage showing that the whistle began to sound one-fifteenth of a second before Collins gained possession of the ball,” the league statement said. “However, it is well-established by prior NBA protest decisions that a factual determination by game officials – including replay officials – that is shown in a post-game review to be incorrect is not a misapplication of the playing rules. 

“While officials strive to get every call right, games cannot be replayed when, after the fact and free from the need to make rulings in real time, a different judgment about events on the playing floor can be made.  For these reasons, Commissioner Silver found that the extraordinary remedy of granting a game protest and replaying the last portion of a completed game was not warranted.”

9. Mark Cuban – $600,000

For Public Comments Detrimental to the League.

Not to be outdone, Mark Cuban appears twice on this list. With over $3.1 million in fines and counting, Cuban knows a thing or two about paying some cash to the league offices. This instance wasn't for criticizing NBA officials, though, which has been the most significant cash drain on Cuban since becoming an owner in 2000 as you can see in just one of his tweets below.

Already embroiled in a controversy, with an article detailing the toxic workplace practices of the Dallas Mavericks organization (unfortunately, this won't be the last franchise to receive this moniker) being released, Cuban took it a step further. He went on a podcast and publicly told his team he wanted them to lose.

“I’m probably not supposed to say this,” Cuban said, “but, like, I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night, and here we are, you know, we weren’t competing for the playoffs. I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option.’ ”

via “House Call With Dr. J” podcast

8. Knicks and Nuggets Brawl – $2.2 Million (Players and Teams)

For Brawling.

The New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets both received $500,000 fines for participating in a brawl that spilled into the fans during a December 16th, 2006, game. 

This NBA fight also happened to have one of the most legendary back-pedal punches ever thrown, with Carmelo Anthony delivering a sucker punch to Marty Collins, who had played a total of 49 seconds before essentially backing up at least 15 feet (okay, maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but look at the video).

All ten players on the court were ejected from the game. 

Remember, this is only two years after the infamous Malice and the Palace incident, and the NBA was still trying to wash the blood of that horrendous moment off their hands. Looking back after the incident, many NBA writers expressed that the league took the punishment too far to show they were taking violence in the sport seriously. 

Seven players were suspended, totaling 47 total games missed from players, with the combined loss of the players over $1.2 million in salary. Each team was then fined $500,000. The breakdown of the suspensions was as follows:

• Carmelo Anthony – 15 games – $640,097
• J.R Smith – 10 games – $126,142
• Nate Robinson – 10 games – $107,771
• Mardy Collins – 6 games – $49,084 
• Jared Jeffries – 4 games – $189,636 
• Nenê – 1 game – $72,727 
• Jerome James – 1 game – $49,901 

If you want to watch the fight, I've posted it below.

7. Donald Sterling – $2.5 Million

For Racist Comments.

In much the same way our top spot received his fine, Donald Sterling was punished for racist comments that came to light after TMZ Sports published a recording between Sterling and his mistress, V. Staviano. In a 2013 recording, Sterling voiced his frustration with Staviano over a picture she had posted with hall-of-famer Magic Johnson to her Instagram. 

Sterling said to Stiviano, “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people,” and, “You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want,” but “the little I ask you is … not to bring them to my games.”

Sterling was banned for life by NBA commissioner Adam Silver and fined the maximum allowance under the 2013 NBA constitution and by-laws. Through public pressure from league executives and players, Sterling eventually sold 100% of the team for $2 Billion to Microsoft Executive Steve Ballmer. 

This process wasn't without complications. Sterling came forward and disavowed, giving his wife permission to sell the team. He sued the NBA for $1 billion but eventually dropped the lawsuit and later agreed to complete the franchise sale to Ballmer. 

6. Minnesota Timberwolves Franchise – $3.5 Million

For Illegally Circumventing the NBA Salary Cap.

In what is undoubtedly the largest fine for doing the stupidest thing, the Minnesota Timberwolves were issued a $3.5 million fine for circumventing the salary cap by negotiating illegal contracts with Joe Smith. Smith, the first overall draft pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves for one-year $1.7 million before the 1998-99 season. This raised some eyebrows around the league, considering Smith had rejected an $80 million extension from the Golden State Warriors. It was later found Smith had signed an under-the-table deal for $80 million + that would take place after he had signed three separate one-year deals significantly under market value.

Well, where there's smoke, there's fire. The dominoes began to fall when Joe Smith's agent, Andrew Miller, left a sports marketing firm run by a man named Eric Fleischer. Through the process, he retained both Joe Smith and Kevin Garnett as clients, essentially poaching them from the firm, so Fleisher sued Miller. The fraudulent contract manipulation was discovered during the lawsuit proceedings, and the league offices got involved.

The NBA found that the Minnesota Timberwolves fraudulently promised Joe Smith a contract and issued a $3.5 million fine to the organization. On top of this, then-NBA commissioner David Stern punished the team by taking five first-round draft picks (eventually returning their 2003 and 2005 picks), suspending owner Glen Taylor for a year, and requiring that the General Manager Kevin Mchale also take a leave of absence. Remember, Minnesota did all this for Joe Smith, who wasn't even that great of a player. This is the largest single fine given to an NBA franchise by the NBA.

5. Latrell Sprewell – $6 Million +

Latrell Sprewell held the record for the largest single fine given to a player, $250,000 before Vladimir Radmonovic broke it. But that's not the incident that puts him up so high on this list. 

Latrell Sprewell holds an unbelievable record. He's the only player in NBA history to make an All-NBA First Team and choke his coach in the same career. Unfortunately, one brought him a significant pay bump, while the other cost him over $6+ million in total wages lost. Let's just say his high skill but lack of anger management didn't get him placed on the most underrated players list…

On December 4, 1997, the NBA suspended Sprewell for attacking his coach, P.J. Carlesimo. After the coach told Sprewell to “put a little mustard” on a pass, Sprewell approached his coach and grabbed him around the neck, choking him. He was forced to leave, but returned 20 minutes later, threw a punch at the coach, and then was escorted out. 

The Warriors initially terminated his contract and a year-long suspension was handed down. The suspension was later changed to only 68 games after Sprewell pushed for arbitration. He would never take the floor for the Warriors again, being traded to the New York Knicks the second he was reinstated.

4. Robert Sarver – $10 Million

For Promoting a Racist and Sexist Toxic Workplace Culture.

Robert Sarver was fined $10 million, the most expensive single fine ever handed down by the league office for promoting a toxic work environment, multiple racist slurs, and unfair treatment of minorities and women employees.

Sarver has always held a reputation as a notoriously cheap NBA owner, drawing criticism for having an understaffed scouting department, failing to update and modernize the Phoenix Suns facilities, and being an authoritative decision-maker with a lack of expertise. While these behaviors aren't fine-worthy, on November 4th, 2021, ESPN released a story detailing some disturbing business practices that definitely fit the bill.

Some of the instances detailed in the article about the Sun's owner alleged that he cultivated a toxic workplace that he used to abuse workers. The report alleged that he once required a coach to fire a minority agent, told staff how he could only use “extra-large condoms,” and repeatedly made snide sexual comments about the physical appearance of female employees.

The NBA immediately launched an investigation into Sarver's organization, corroborating ESPN's article. After their findings were published through an independent investigation, the league issued a $10 million fine, the largest allowed under the NBA's constitution and by-laws, and suspended Robert Sarver for a year. But the debacle wasn't over, as high-profile NBA players, sponsors, and rival executives made it clear Sarver should sell the team and leave the NBA behind. On December 20th, 2022, Sarver sold the Phoenix Suns for a record $4 billion, making a significant return on the $4 million he paid for the team in 2004. He also had to sell his controlling shares of the Phoenix Mercury organization.

3. Malice at the Palace – $11 Million+

For a Brawl that included assaulting fans.

The Malice at the Palace totaled over $11 Million in fines, suspensions, and lost player wages directly coming from punishments for participation in the incident.

The Malice at the Palace was a turning point for the NBA. The legendary brawl between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons was much see TV. Not only did it significantly alter the perception of the league as a violent institution, but it resulted in multiple charges, violence against spectators at the arena, and over $11 million in total fines and wages lost. Multiple players carried this stink throughout the rest of their NBA careers, most notably Ron Artest, one of the most underrated players of the 2000s.

As I mentioned in the introduction, a suspension will be tallied like a fine for the article's sake. And just as the brawl between Denver and the Knicks is near the top of the list, it's no surprise that the most legendary brawl in the history of the NBA tops our list.

The totality of the punishment was as follows:

• Ron Artest – 86 total games – $4,997,500 – assault charges
• Stephen Jackson – 30 games – $1,750,000 – assault charges
• Jermaine O'Neal – 15 games – $4,115,000 – assault charges
• Ben Wallace – 4 games – $400,000
• Anthony Johnson – 5 games – $122,222 – assault charges
• Reggie Miller – 1 game – $61,111
• Chauncy Billups – 1 game – $60,611
• Derrick Coleman – 1 game – $50,000
• David Harrison – 0 games – $0 – assault charges

There's enough information surrounding this incident, including a very well-put-together documentary, that we don't have to parse through everything that happened again here. If you still haven't seen the video, you can view it below, and I encourage watching the documentary surrounding the situation and hearing the player's side of the situation. I've included the age-restricted video below. It contains violence and graphic scenes, so viewer discretion is advised.

2. Kyrie Irving – $16 Million +

For refusing to follow health and safety protocols.

As a member of the Nets, Irving stacked up more than $16 million in total fines throughout the 2021-2022 season for refusing to follow league health and safety protocols. The craziest part, he isn't even the leader for total fines for that season! 

Whether right or wrong, it's a fact that Kyrie Irving's refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine cost him a significant amount of cash. At the beginning of the year, the Brooklyn Nets stated they would bar him from participating in home games and his inability to play away games due to COVID restrictions. Eventually, the team relented and allowed Irving to become a part-time player and participate in the team's home games.

1. Ben Simmons – $17 Million +

For refusing to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ben Simmons received the single-largest fine ever issued to a player in the history of the NBA when the 76ers fined him $1.4 million for missing the team's four pre-season games, beating Vladimir Radmonovic by a significant amount. And with the 76ers continuing to fine him for games missed, he totaled over $17 million in fines over the 2021-2022 season before being traded.

ESPN Sources: The 76ers have fined Ben Simmons $1.4M for his absence from four preseason games (360K each) and levied numerous team fines for missed practices, on-court workouts and meetings. He hasn’t earned any money since returning to the team on October 11.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 19, 2021

Similar to the Malice at the Palace, we are counting the totality of Ben Simmon's fines because they stem from one continuous saga. When Simmons returned for the season, he first cited back problems and mental health issues that prevented him from playing. However, the 76ers kept fining him after he refused to work with a team-mandated psychiatrist and showed no desire to attempt to come back to action for the 76ers team.

And that's that. Ben Simmons tops the list of the biggest (total) fines throughout the history of the NBA. Are you surprised? Or are you more impressed with Robert Sarver's fine, the highest single fine given to a player/owner? Let me know!

I hope you enjoyed reading this article, which dove deep into the largest fines in the history of the NBA. I enjoyed compiling the list of hefty fines, inappropriate comments, and the long history of issues the NBA has dealt with. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks for reading!