Reggie Evans becomes first player to be fined for flopping

Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Reggie Evans was warned after a phantom elbow sent him to the floor and a phantom shove sent him to the sideline on Tuesday night.

Reggie Evans is the first player to be fined by the NBA for flopping, receiving a $5,000 penalty from the NBA on Wednesday. Evans had a run-in with Metta World Peace in the Nets' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, which combined with a warning given to him after Brooklyn's Nov. 16 game with the Celtics was enough to earn him the fine.

As the video below shows, Evans grabbed a rebound from an errant shot by Kobe Bryant late in the third quarter, and after passing it off to Jerry Stackhouse, he came into contact with MWP. He then went flying towards the sideline, but a quick replay clearly showed it wasn't World Peace who sent him there. Take a look:

Evans had been previously warned by the league after flopping in Brooklyn's game against the Celtics, where a non-elbow from Jared Sullinger sent him sprawling. According to league policy, players are entitled to one warning, and a second instance results in a fine of $5,000. A third offense bumps the fine to $10,000, while four will cost a player $15,000, and the fifth doubles the fine to $30,000.

According to the new rules, the primary factor in calling a flop is "whether [a player's] physical reaction to contact with another player is inconsistent with what would reasonably be expected given the force or direction of the contact." That seems to fit Evans' reaction, netting him the fine.