(in a dry, sarcastic tone, à la Jimmy Carr) Ah, the NBA, where the phrase “tendonitis in the right Achilles tendon” is just a fancy way of saying “I’m having a lazy Sunday”. And the Atlanta Hawks, who apparently think they’re above the law, or at least above the NBA’s attendance policy. (chuckles)

So, Trae Young, the star point guard, decides to take a game off against the Boston Celtics, citing a dodgy Achilles tendon. Now, I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure “tendonitis” is just a word doctors use when they don’t want to say “you’re not injured, you’re just not bothered”. (smirking) And the NBA, bless their bureaucratic souls, decides to investigate.

(in a goofy, exaggerated tone, à la Rowan Atkinson) Oh, the drama! The intrigue! The thrilling spectacle of a sporting organization trying to figure out if someone’s genuinely injured or just having a kip! And after a thorough review by an independent doctor, they conclude… (dramatic pause)…Young could’ve played! ( gasps ) The scandal!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But what about the players’ welfare?” Well, let’s be real, folks. If I had a dollar for every time a sports star used “injury” as an excuse to avoid a game, I’d have at least… (pauses for comedic effect)…a dollar. (chuckles)

(in a cheeky, sarcastic tone, à la Ricky Gervais) And the NBA’s solution to this “problem”? Fine the team $100,000! Because that’s clearly going to deter them from, you know, letting their players take the occasional game off. I mean, it’s not like the Hawks are going to be like, “Oh no, we’ve been fined! We’ll never let our players rest again!” (eye-roll) Give me a break.

(in a more observational tone, à la Lee Evans) But you know what’s interesting? This whole saga highlights the absurdity of professional sports. I mean, think about it. We’re talking about a game where grown men run around, throwing a ball through a hoop, and we’re getting worked up about someone taking a game off? It’s all just a bit… (shrugs) silly, isn’t it?

And let’s not forget, this is all part of the NBA’s new policy to “encourage players’ participation in duels regular season”. (air quotes) “Duels”. Like it’s some kind of medieval jousting tournament. (chuckles) “I’ll have you know, good sir, I shall not be participating in this duel today, for I have a mild case of… (dramatic pause)…tendonitis!” (laughs)

Anyway, that’s the story of how the Atlanta Hawks got fined $100,000 for Trae Young’s “injury”. Or, as I like to call it, “The Great Achilles Tendon Debacle of 2023”. (smirks) Ah, the drama, the intrigue, the utter ridiculousness of it all.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has imposed a hefty fine of $100,000 on the Atlanta Hawks for violating its player attendance and availability policy, the league announced in a press release on Tuesday, outlining the details of the infraction.

According to the statement, the fine is directly related to the absence of star point guard Trae Young from the highly-anticipated NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics on November 12. Notably, this was the only game Young missed in the first month of the season, citing tendonitis in his right Achilles tendon as the reason for his withdrawal.

However, following a thorough investigation into Young’s withdrawal, the NBA consulted with an independent medical expert, who concluded that the player was medically cleared to participate in the game, as per the competition’s stringent medical standards. Consequently, the franchise was deemed to have failed to comply with the regulations, resulting in the imposition of the $100,000 fine.

Brad Rowland, a journalist from Stuck on the Hawks, delved deeper into this case, highlighting that while Young’s discomfort was genuine, he had successfully managed his condition in recent weeks without missing any further games. The NBA contended that Young could have played in the game against the Celtics, particularly given the two-day rest period preceding the match. Furthermore, a critical factor in the NBA’s resolution was the fact that Young was not included on the injured list for the subsequent match.

It is worth noting that it is a common practice for players to rest during matches without any form of penalty. However, this particular case had distinct peculiarities. The NBA’s revised rules, effective from the 2023-24 season, aim to encourage player participation in regular-season duels. Specifically, the competition will scrutinize instances where a non-participating player is considered a “star” and their absence occurs in a nationally televised game or NBA Cup match. Young is one of 49 players who currently meet the “star” criterion, having been part of an All-NBA team or an All-Star in the last three seasons.

As a result of these revised rules, the penalty for resting an uninjured star player in an NBA Cup game is a substantial $100,000. Moreover, if the Hawks – or any team – commit a second such violation, the fine could escalate to a maximum of $250,000, serving as a deterrent to teams considering resting their star players in crucial matches.