The NBA instituted a new rule last week, allowing league officials to look at video replays to determine whether or not players are flopping and consequently fine those deemed to be divers.
This unprecedented action is not something we’re likely to see implemented consistently, but it shows the intent of the league to do something about players turning fouls and injuries into theatrics in the interest of effecting the game and other players.
Punishments on the field already exist in other sports for diving and have shown that it can help deter such behavior, but financial cost to the player is a new addition the NBA is introducing to the practice of wrist slaps for what is often called “play acting”.
In soccer, strikers who often spend whole chunks of their playing time attempting to fool referees now find themselves subject to a yellow card for a blatant dive, the sport’s equivalent to a technical foul.
It must have been tempting for the NBA to implement the rule in that fashion, but putting that sort of game changing judgement in the hands of referees is neither in the interest of the game’s entertainment value, the players or the already heavily criticized referees.
The decision to impose financial penalties undoubtedly ticked off the Players Union, but stars such as Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Caron Butler, Rasheed Wallace and Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra have all expressed some satisfaction with the ruling.
Bryant has seen the flop go through much of its evolution into an art form that is now embedded in the culture of the sport. Having faced off against Manu Ginobili, Raja Bell, Paul Pierce and Reggie Miller several times in his career, Bryant is all too familiar with the practice and has been bitten by players using it against him, so it’s not too surprising that he likes the decision.
Two of the league's worst flop offenders, Manu Ginobili and Raja Bell, come together to create the double flop.
The question for this season is who will be effected most by the new rule? Who will be the first to turn over a chunk of his paycheck for hitting the floor too easily? The first offense is a mere warning followed by a slap on the wrist fine of $5,000 for the second. The more you flop the more it costs going up to $30,000 for the fifth offense and suspensions starting at the sixth.
So, we’ve not only compiled a list of floppers likely to be penalized by the rule, we’ve included an estimate of how much they’ll be paying in fines this season.
10.) Paul Pierce- Boston Celtics
Estimated Fines: $5,000
He’s thought of by many as a man of steel, playing through injuries and what often appears to be extreme pain to come through in the clutch for the Celtics time and time again. But to his opponents, Pierce is a guy who will rarely shy away from acting in order earn trips to the line and points with the fans.
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9.) Reggie Evans-Los Angeles Clippers
Estimated Fines: $10,000
Known as a defensive specialist, Evans earns his keep partially thanks to the flop. It doesn’t matter where on the floor he is at any given moment, Evans has been known to flop and sloppily enough to disgust fans and pundits alike.
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8.) Chris Paul- Los Angeles Clippers
Estimated Fines: 10,000
No one can doubt Paul’s defensive skills, but how he does it is sometimes another matter. Few players in the league are more qualified to be set on fire, with Paul having mastered stop, drop and roll as well as he has.
7.) Blake Griffin-Los Angeles Clippers
Estimated Fines: $10,000
Anytime the young star plays against a physical opponent, Griffin spends a lot of time on his back writhing around and looking for calls. How much money it will cost him remains to be seen, but it isn’t tough to tell that he isn’t happy about the new rule.
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6.) Dirk Nowitzki-Dallas Mavericks
Estimated Fines: $15,000
One of the greatest actors in NBA history, the Big German knows better than anyone what drawing contact and getting to the foul line can do for a career. Having averaged more than 450 free throws per season over the last 14 years, it’s no wonder Nowitzki called the new rule ‘a bunch of crap.’
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5.) Danilo Gallinari-Denver Nuggets
Estimated Fines: $15,000
For all his talent, Gallinari does little to dispose of the stereotype that foreign players flop. Another specialist in drawing contact and exaggerating its effects to get to the line, there is little doubt the Italian will lose some money to the new rule this season.
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4.) Chris Bosh-Miami Heat
Estimated Fines: $30,000
Not only is Bosh a notorious flopper, he’s often terrible at doing it (see below). With a reputation for not being able to hang with the league’s more physical forwards, Bosh will have to man up this season instead of falling down.
3.) Anderson Varejao-Cleveland Cavaliers
Estimated Fines: $30,000
One of the most notorious floppers around, the 6-10 Varejao often goes down at the slightest hint of contact. While Varejao says he isn’t going to flop anymore, the sincerity of that kind of talk could be put to the test this year.
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2.) LeBron James-Miami Heat
Estimated Fines: $30,000
When you’re a great player and a global superstar, a lot of criticism will come your way, but in the case of James, his reputation as a flopper is warranted. With some of the most theatrical flops of all time, James, like any great superstar, manipulates officials into making some decisions for him. If the league is serious about implementing this rule, the true test will be how harshly they treat James.
1.) Manu Ginobili-San Antonio Spurs
Estimated Fines: $30,00/1 suspension
Possibly the biggest perpetrator of the flop in the history of basketball and worthy of the Academy Awards, Ginobili has incorporated the flop into his game so much that it is pretty much accepted as his “style of play”. He is one of the most athletic shooting guards of the last decade, but half of skill is shown in the intricacies of his flops.
