"They cheated to beat the Celtics?" - NBA fans abuzz as Trae Young's absence triggers $100,000 fine for Hawks

On Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania revealed that the NBA had fined the Atlanta Hawks $100,000 for benching Trae Young. The Hawks choose to rest their All-Star during their NBA Cup matchup against the Boston Celtics on November 12. The league looked into Young's absence.

Without Young, the Hawks defeated Boston, 117-116. In their review, the league concluded that the three-time All-Star could have faced the Celtics. According to more details, the Atlanta guard was judged healthy enough to play in the NBA Cup game.

NBA Insider Chris Haynes posted on X (formerly Twitter) the league's statement regarding the Hawks' fine.

"Following an investigation, including review by an independent physician, was determined that the Hawks held Young out of a game that he could have played in under the medical standard in the Policy. The organization’s conduct violated the Policy, which is intended to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season," Haynes posted.

Fans were abuzz with Charania's report on X.

"So they cheated to beat the Celtics?" one fan asked.

"The NBA knows viewership is down so they need to recoup that money somehow," another fan said.

"And yet the celtics still lost…." a fan said.

Other fans paid attention to the punishments the league has started to implement.

"If a player is 100% healthy and there’s no family issues, they should be playing. That’s something the NBA needs to tighten up on," a fan said.

"The NBA's message is clear: no skipping marquee games without consequences," another fan said.

"Big reason why nba fans are turned off by the game. Players just sitting out to sit out. No pride," a fan said.

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Why was Trae Young fined for violating the NBA Player Participation Policy?

Trae Young's absence against the Celtics fell under the league's Player Participation Policy. According to the policy, it targets teams' usage of resting their star players in key games. Key games include nationally-televised matchups, in-season tournaments, and road games.

The policy clarified that rest for players is still allowed but needs to be balanced by the team throughout the year. During every game, the league ensures that no star takes a break.

The Hawks reported that Young was out due to tendinitis in his right Achilles. However, it was later found that the star was healthy to play their NBA Cup game against the Celtics.

Young has played in 17 games, averaging 21.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 11.9 assists. This season, the All-Star guard has missed just one game, and it was the one in which the Hawks received a fine.