EXCLUSIVE: Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Breaks Silence o...
EXCLUSIVE: Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Breaks Silence on NBA’s $100,000 Fine for ‘Tanking’
EXCLUSIVE: Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Breaks Silence on NBA’s $100,000 Fine For ‘Tanking’
Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, recently voiced his frustration over the NBA’s $100,000 fine for alleged “tanking” during a February 3 game against the Utah Jazz.
Speaking candidly, Carlisle called the league’s investigation “shocking” and revealed troubling details about the process, including the handling of injured forward Aaron Nesmith.
The fine stemmed from the Pacers resting key players, including Nesmith, who Carlisle explained was physically unable to play due to a recent injury. “Aaron couldn’t even hold the ball,” Carlisle stated, emphasizing that the team’s medical staff had documented the injury.
Despite this, the NBA reportedly declined to consult the Pacers’ doctors or Nesmith himself during their review.
Instead, league officials relied on their own medical team, which had not examined the player.
Carlisle also disclosed a startling claim: the NBA asked whether Nesmith could have been medicated to make him available for the game.
“That question was unbelievable,” Carlisle said, highlighting the ethical concerns surrounding such a suggestion.
The fine falls under the NBA’s player participation policy, which aims to prevent teams from resting healthy players in ways that could compromise competitive integrity.
However, Carlisle argued that the Pacers acted in good faith, prioritizing player health and development over short-term gains.
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As the Pacers sit far from playoff contention, Carlisle’s comments add fuel to the ongoing debate about the league’s enforcement of tanking rules and the balance between competitive fairness and medical decision-making.
Listen to the full interview with Rick Carlisle below.
