Rockets' Harden fined $5,000 for second flopping violation

By foxsports
Published

Good news for Rockets guard James Harden-- after he is done with his NBA career, he may have a future in acting.

The NBA announced Monday Harden has been fined $5,000 for violating the league's anti-flopping policy for the second time this season.

The flopping incident occurred with about four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Houston's home loss to the Clippers on Saturday night. With the Los Angeles leading 92-83, Harden recovered an offensive rebound and as Blake Griffin was closing in to trap the Rockets star on the baseline, he leaned away and launched himself to the ground almost as if one of the fans in the crowd threw a lasso around him and pulled him out of bounds.








As ridiculous as it looks on the replay with Griffin seemingly hardly touching Harden-- if he even touched him at all-- the act actually worked in the game with the referee awarding two shots to Harden for his Oscar-worthy performance.

Harden previously received a warning for a flop against the Trail Blazers last Tuesday, and if he is caught again he will be subjected to a scaling set of monetary fines starting with a $10,000 fine for a third violation this season.

Harden said he is appealing the fine by stating his Nov. 5 flop against Portland was a legitimate foul.

"The first one, I really did get hit in the face," Harden told CSN Houston. "I'm trying to appeal that right now. I really did get hit in the face, it was just a late reaction."

Harden didn't mention the flopping incident from the game against the Clippers, but the Rockets guard did want to make it known that he doesn't want to be known as a flopper.

"I don't want to be known as a flopper or a guy who is looking to get calls, that type of player," Harden said. "That type of player I've never been. It was a bad call."

The NBA in an effort to reduce the amount of flopping in games even released an official instructional video that goes over numerous examples of what is and isn't a flop.


















Even though the instructional video isn't meant to be humorous, it does make for a good laugh watching various NBA stars being called out for flailing around the basketball court.

Follow Shawn Ramsey on Twitter: @ShawnPRamsey