NBA players dedicate years of hard work to reach the highest levels of basketball, earning substantial salaries once they join the league. Despite lucrative contracts, players risk losing significant income through fines and suspensions related to on-court altercations. On a recent episode of Game Recognize Game with cohost Breanna Stewart, Myles Turner spoke about how unnecessary fighting in the NBA leads to costly consequences for players’ earnings.
Turner Reflects on Limited Fighting Experience and Its Cost
Turner explained his personal experience with fights, clarifying that he has only engaged in brief tussles rather than real fights during games. He noted the presence of security and how any altercation typically lasts only a few seconds before being broken up. Turner recalled an incident with Rudy Gobert that ended with pushing and grappling but no punches thrown, emphasizing his reluctance to escalate conflicts because suspensions would directly reduce his salary.
“I’ve never really been in a real fight,”
Myles Turner said.
“I’ve been in a tussle, a couple tussles here and there, you feel me? But not no real fight, man. It’s kinda a funny thing in the NBA, right? Like we all kinda know that there’s security right there, so it’s gonna be maybe four or five seconds of action.”
He pointed out how game checks are crucial and expensive for players. Using an example of a player earning $10 million annually, Turner explained a 10-game suspension for fighting could cost over a million dollars in lost pay.
“I think what the average fan doesn’t realize is those game checks matter,”
Turner said.
You’re losing millions of dollars.
Recent NBA Brawls and Resulting Suspensions
Turner referenced a recent fight between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets that resulted in multiple suspensions. Pistons center Jalen Duren was suspended for two games, while Hornets players Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate each received four-game suspensions. Isaiah Stewart, penalized most severely for leaving the bench and escalating the brawl, was suspended for seven games, which Turner considered relatively lenient given Stewart’s past behavior.
The suspension cost Stewart approximately $1.3 million of his $15 million salary for the season, illustrating the serious financial penalty of such incidents.
Turner’s Perspective on Fighting Trends Across the League
While fights have occurred recently, including an incident between the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies, Turner does not believe these events represent a growing problem in the NBA. Instead, he attributes these altercations to moments when tensions rise and players say things that cross personal lines.
“There isn’t really a fighting issue in the league,”
Turner stated.
“It’s just that tensions rise at times. Everybody talks s***, that’s part of the game. That’s just gonna happen regardless, and I think that just makes the game better. But sometimes lines get crossed, people get a little personal.”
Turner Focuses on Basketball, Not Brawls
Currently in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Turner has experienced frustrations with the team’s performance, which likely will lead to a lottery spot for the franchise. Despite these challenges, Turner shows no interest in channeling his emotions through fighting on the court, focusing instead on personal interests such as his notable enthusiasm for LEGO building sets.
