LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers had a rough night on Friday when they took on the Memphis Grizzlies and beat them after starting the game with a 22-2 run in favor of the young team. The purple and gold turned things around and won the match but there were some controversial plays in the development that raise some eyebrows around the league.
James and his flops were subject to criticism by fans and even announcers, who couldn’t believe LeBron was using those tactics to get fouls. The 4x NBA player was under fire after that and now the league has announced the player received a warning for violating the anti-flopping rules. It was a very questionable play that granted him two free throws and the NBA wasn’t happy about it. Moreover, they also warned LeBron’s teammate Kyle Kuzma, who did the same during the game, drawing more criticism towards him.
The NBA said Saturday that James’ violation occurred with 2 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the second quarter when James, positioned between Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen of the Grizzlies, fell to the floor while vying for a rebound.
Kuzma flopped with 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, according to the league. While guarding Brooks, Kuzma tried to draw an offensive foul on the Memphis wing by spinning and tumbling to the hardwood after Brooks put his shoulder down and initiated contact with Kuzma’s hip.
If they continue flopping, the league will fine then and things could get so bad for them that the NBA could suspend them if they consider it necessary.
The NBA looked to clean up the game by monitoring flopping starting in the 2012-13 season. After receiving a warning, a player can be subject to fines that grow from $5,000 to $10,000 to $15,000 to $30,000 for each subsequent violation. If a player reaches six flops in a season, the fine can increase even further, and the league has the right to issue a suspension.
LeBron has been a flopper for quite some time now and that doesn’t seem to be changing. Some fans say this is the only way he has to get the calls while others just blast him for his antics. The thing is that they should be careful about this from now on but it doesn’t seem like they will be stopping anytime soon.
