Paul George Fined for Flopping in NBA Season Opener

The NBA has fined Paul George, the new forward for the Boston Celtics, $2,000 for flopping during the team’s loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. This fine was announced by the league on Wednesday.

The incident occurred late in the fourth quarter with about three minutes left. In the midst of a fast break, George came into contact with Pistons guard Duncan Robinson and then exaggeratedly fell to the ground, seeming to hope for a foul call.

Interestingly, the referees didn’t call anything at the moment, but after reviewing the game footage, the league decided to impose the fine.

According to NBA rules, penalties for flopping start at $2,000 and escalate with repeated offenses. For a player like George, who is set to earn nearly $50 million this season, this fine is essentially a drop in the bucket.

The game itself featured a lot of contact and players frequently hitting the floor, yet George was the only one singled out by the league for this penalty.

Despite the flopping fine, George had an impressive debut with the Celtics, scoring 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting and breaking the franchise record for points in a debut game. He also contributed five rebounds, five steals, and three assists in just 31 minutes of play.

Unfortunately for George, his standout performance wasn’t enough to secure a win, as the Celtics blew a 22-point lead, losing to the Pistons largely due to a 23-0 run by Detroit in the fourth quarter, driven by Robinson and Cade Cunningham.

With teammate Jayson Tatum struggling with his shooting, George was pivotal in keeping Boston’s hopes alive, at least until their late-game execution faltered.

Fortunately for George, the flopping violation doesn’t come with a suspension, so he will be available to play when the Celtics face the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.