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On Wednesday, The league enforced its new flopping rule by issuing a fine on Phoenix Suns guard Josh Okogie in the season opener against the Golden State Warriors. The NBA issued a $2,000 fine on Okogie.
The Suns' 108-104 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night was intense, as both teams tried their best to outdo each other. While the Devin Booker-led team was victorious, one of its players was fined for flopping.
The play happened at the 3:26 mark of the fourth quarter when Okogie was waiting for Grayson Allen's 3-pointer to fall. As he remained in the paint, Warriors center Kevon Looney seemingly pushed him from behind with his left hand to go after the rebound.
Okogie fell on the floor and even asked the official standing by the baseline why he didn't get a call. According to the league, his move was excessive, and it earned him a $2,000 fine for flopping.
The new flopping rule will result in an unsportsmanlike foul on the player who committed a flop. The opposing team will be rewarded with a free throw, but the offending player will not be ejected from the game. The call on Okogie took a while for the officials to review and didn't get any attention in last night's season opener.
Booker’s efficiency led the Suns to victory as the former Kentucky Wildcats standout had 32 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Okogie, a two-way perimeter player, contributed 17 points and five rebounds. He also made a must-needed three-pointer to keep the Warriors from coming back.
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The league rescinds the Phoenix Suns' second-round pick
The NBA could investigate Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia for tampering. According to the league, the Suns contacted Drew Eubanks before the start of free agency, which is against the rules.
"The Phoenix Suns violated league rules governing the timing of this season’s free agency discussions and that the league has rescinded the 2024 second-round draft pick (Denver’s own) that Phoenix acquired from Orlando in a prior trade. This outcome reflected a finding that Phoenix engaged in free agency discussions involving Drew Eubanks prior to the date when such discussions were permitted,'' the NBA said in a statement.
The Suns released their statement in regards to the league's punishment.
"We are disappointed with the results of the NBA investigation. If there was a violation, it was inadvertent. We are focused on complying with league rules and competing at the highest level every year. With that being said, we accept the penalty from the league and are focused on looking forward to this season," the team stated on X.
