The NBA announced on Tuesday it will issue a $10 million fine and one-year suspension toward Suns owner Robert Sarver for “several different issues relating to the team’s workplace.”
The league began an independent investigation after ESPN’s Baxter Holmes published an in-depth reported piece in November 2021, diving into Sarver’s horrific behavior during his 17-year tenure as owner of the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury.
Sarver’s $10 million fine is not only the largest in NBA history — by a large margin — but it is also the maximum fine allowed by NBA rule, according to the Associated Press.
What are some of the other biggest fines in NBA history? The Sporting News has compiled a list of notable fines below.
What are the largest fines in NBA history?
Robert Sarver, Suns owner — 2022
Fine: $10 million
Reason: Several different issues relating to the team’s workplace
In addition to the largest fine in league history, Sarver will also be suspended from his duties for a year. You can find all of the details from the NBA’s investigation here, but some of the low-lights include:
- Mr. Sarver, on at least five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others.
- Mr. Sarver engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.
- Mr. Sarver engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including yelling and cursing at them.
Minnesota Timberwolves — 2000
Fine: $3.5 million
Reason: Secret contract agreement
In 2000, the Timberwolves tried to find a loophole in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by signing former No. 1 overall pick, Joe Smith, to a deal well below his market value.
Minnesota promised Smith a multi-million dollar deal in the future if he accepted a much smaller one-year deal in the meantime, allowing the franchise to have more cap flexibility to bolster its roster with talented players. When this under-the-table deal was discovered by the NBA, the league hit the Timberwolves with the largest fine in history to that date.
Donald Sterling, Clippers owner — 2014
Fine: $2.5 million
Reason: Racism
Sterling was fined $2.5 million by the NBA after TMZ Sports released a video of a private conversation between Sterling and his mistress, where the Clippers owner made several racist comments.
He was immediately stripped of his ownership title and has been banned by the NBA for life by commissioner Adam Silver.
Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner — 2018
Fine: $600,000
Reason: Admitting to tanking
In 2018, Mark Cuban went on Julius Erving’s podcast and admitted that he told his players tanking was the best option for the team at the time.
“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night. And here we are, we weren’t competing for the playoffs. I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option,'” Cuban said to Erving.
“Adam would hate hearing that, but at least I sat down, and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans were going to be this summer, that we’re not going to tank again.”
Other notable fines
Knicks-Nuggets fight, 2006: $500,000 fine
Heat owner Mickey Arison tweets about lockout, 2010: $500,000 fine
Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars leaks information to reporter, 2010: $500,000 fine
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban criticizes officials, 2002: $500,000 fine
Warriors investor Mark Stevens pushes Kyle Lowry, 2019: $500,000 fine
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