NBA Commissioner David Stern speaks out on ‘Flopping’; Calls it a legitimate concern – NBA Update
Flopping has become the hottest topic in NBA ever since the playoffs started. Lionel Hollins, the Memphis Grizzlies called Chris Paul the biggest floppers in NBA, before retracting his words, and recently the
league fined Indiana Pacers Coach Frank Vogel for criticising the officials of not being able to tell the difference between a valid offensive foul and flopping.
Commissioner David Stern has come out to agree with Vogel on having a valid point.
"I think it's time to look at (flopping) in a more serious way," Stern said, "because it's only designed to fool the referee. It's not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there's contact (you) move
a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies."
Stern spoke to Lisa Salters while sitting court side watching Game 1 between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers. He did however criticize Vogel for trying to be too manipulative and said that if it had been
him, he would have fined him much more.
“(Vogel) didn't have a beef; he was just manipulating the refereeing or trying to," Stern said. "I would have fined him much more than our office did."
These comments came after Vogel has come openly to call the Heat, "the biggest flopping team in the NBA” before his side took on Miami in the second round series. However, coaches have not been the only one in
this year playoffs, who have come out to openly signal out players for flopping.
Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies called his first round opponents the Los Angeles Clippers the biggest floppers of the season by far. He also went on to name players like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Reggie
Evans, he thinks are legitimate contenders of flopping on plays while speaking on the radio show "The Doug Gottlieb Show."
Even though Stern has come out to agree with the point of NBA taking a look at the flopping situation, however he did not agree with people coming out to openly criticise specific individuals like that.
As the current standing of the management stand, floppers are not fined but those who speak out openly against it are. There is definitely a dire need to change this approach as many players try to make the most
of this confusion.
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