NEW YORK (AFP) — The Atlanta Hawks were fined $100,000 by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Tuesday after a league investigation into star guard Trae Young missing an NBA Cup game two weeks ago.
The NBA found the Hawks violated the league’s Player Participation Policy when the 26-year-old American missed a 12 November contest at Boston.
The probe, which included a review by an independent physician, determined the Hawks held Young out of a game, in which he could have played, under the medical standard clause of the policy, which is aimed at having top NBA talent play in regular-season contests.
The Hawks, who beat Boston 117-116, said Young was unavailable due to tendinitis in his right Achilles tendon.
Three-time NBA All-Star Young, who has not missed another game this season, has averaged 21.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and an NBA-best 11.9 assists so far this season.
At 7-11, the Hawks are 11th in the Eastern Conference.
The NBA also fined Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown $35,000 for aggressively pursuing a referee during his team’s 108-103 home loss to Brooklyn on Sunday.
The Kings are 8-10, 12th in the Western Conference after dropping four games in a row.