You've played four quarters of basketball, and that wasn't enough. You played the first overtime, and the game is still going. Finally, in overtime No. 2, you prevail, winning the fight, and with your last remaining strength, you rip that basketball into the stands, giving one lucky the souvenir of a lifetime.

Then, the NBA fines you $15,000 for it?

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That's exactly what happened to New York Knicks' star forward Julius Randle, who after leading his team past the Boston Celtics in a double-overtime thriller, tossed the basketball into the crowd in celebration.

Didn't see it at the time? Probably because if you blinked, you missed this:

The NBA, seemingly recognizing that Randle was having fun and enjoying the moment and they needed to put a stop to those shenanigans right away, fined Randle $15K for his actions. According to a report from the New York Post, Randle is considering appealing the fine, but has yet to make a decision on the correct course of action. Allow me to step in and say this: this is the most absurd, ridiculous and unnecessary fine I have seen in a very long time. A superstar in your league just played his heart out, left it all on the court (except the basketball), and in a moment of youthful exuberance as well as relief, made a small and nearly unnoticeable blunder. As you'll see here, Randle was rightfully exhausted right after the game:

To the NBA, that transgression is worth a five-figure fine? We've seen leagues struggle embracing the "fun" side of their respective sports. The New York Mets have been banned from wearing fun and commemorative cleats, the NHL is currently fighting the fight against a relaxation of their dress code, and the NFL still loves concussions as much as they love money. The NBA, however, hasn't struggled with this concept nearly as much. They're consistently on the forefront of the entertainment side of sports, and consistently roll out a top-notch product on the court, and on the television screen. It appears as though Adam Silver has been lunching with Rob Manfred or Gary Bettman a bit too frequently, because this is the move of a league that is eons behind where the NBA claims it currently is. In other words, there are about 1,000 better fights to fight right now for the National Basketball Association then Julius Randle's "No Ball Anymore" interpretation of the league's acronym. I have one more thing to say to the NBA:

 

   

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