The NBA did not find Josh Hart’s antics during Sunday’s game to be very amusing.
The league announced on Monday that they have assessed a $2,000 postgame flopping fine to the New York Knicks guard Hart. The decision came after a review of the incident by the NBA league office, the release adds.
Hart went viral in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics for his absolutely pathetic flop attempt after some minimal contact by Celtics guard Jrue Holiday. While Hart was trying to run up the floor after a defensive rebound by the Knicks, Holiday lightly held Hart around the waist in passing, leading to Hart theatrically flailing his arms in the air and falling to the ground.
Despite Hart’s best efforts, no foul was called, and the Knicks also went on to lose 118-105. You can see the video of Hart’s utterly embarrassing flop here.
The 29-year-old Hart finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. He is also enjoying a career year overall, averaging 14.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Hart is making $18.1 million this season in the first year of a four-year, $80.9 million contract extension from the Knicks, so a $2,000 fine is even less than drop in the bucket for him. But maybe Hart will think twice now about flailing around to his heart’s content, especially considering that the NBA has already fined multiple other players for flopping just this season alone.
