Pacers coach Rick Carlisle blasts NBA over ‘ridiculous’ tanking fine

As the NBA faces ongoing concerns about tanking, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle fired back at the league over its recent $100,000 Player Participation Policy fine, calling the discipline “ridiculous” and “shocking.”

During a radio interview with 93.5 The Fan Tuesday, Feb. 24, Carlisle publicly addressed the fine for the first time and centered his rebuke around the availability of guard Aaron Nesmith during a Feb. 3 game against the Jazz, a 131-122 Utah victory.

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“I didn’t agree with it,” Carlisle said during the interview. “There was a league lawyer that was doing the interview that kind of unilaterally decided that Aaron Nesmith, who had been injured the night before and couldn’t hold the ball, should’ve played in the game, which seems ridiculous.”

The league announced the discipline Feb. 12, just days before the NBA All-Star Game. Headed into the game, the Pacers were 13-37 and continuing to languish in last place in the Eastern Conference.

After pushing the eventual-champion Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Pacers have struggled to compete this year because of injuries, most notably the ruptured Achilles tendon star point guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered early in that Game 7.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards’ Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as…

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Publish date : 2026-02-24 19:27:00

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