The Indiana Pacers were recently fined $100,000 for tanking. For those unfamiliar, tanking is basically losing on purpose so a team could increase its chances of securing a higher pick in the NBA Draft Lottery.
Since the second half began, the Pacers have sat Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith in back-to-backs, prompting the NBA to fine Rick Carlisle for what it viewed as tanking. The move quickly sparked debate across social media.
NBA World Believes League Wrongly Accused Pacers
The 2025-26 season resumed on Feb. 19 after the short All-Star break. The Pacers were scheduled to face off against the Washington Wizards on two consecutive nights. Siakam was nowhere to be found in both games, while Nembhard and Nesmith only played in the first meeting.
This led the association to believe that the Pacers were deliberately tanking, sitting out their best guy for what they thought was a prolonged period.
Pacers head coach Carlisle broke his silence and expressed his thoughts on the situation:
“I didn’t agree with it,” Carlisle said about the team getting fined. “There was a league lawyer who was doing the interview who decided that Aaron Nesmith, injured the night before and couldn’t hold the ball, should have played in the game, which just seems ridiculous.”
“We asked them if they wanted to talk to the doctors about it because it was something that was documented,” Carlisle continued. “They said no, they didn’t need to. They talked to their doctors, who did not examine Aaron Nesmith. We asked them if they wanted to talk to the kid. Then they said, no they didn’t need to. This was shocking to me.”
Rick Carlisle today opening up about the NBA’s $100,000 fine of the #Pacers:
Full interview here: https://t.co/1rrz1gO1Ja pic.twitter.com/MgjmZFEPsH
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) February 24, 2026
NBA insider Sam Amick then went on social media to share a screenshot of a text message, sharing a quote from an NBA spokesperson, who had something to say about coach Carlisle’s thoughts:
“Coach Carlisle’s description of the process that went into the decision to fine the Indiana Pacers is inaccurate. An independent physician led the medical review. In addition, the Pacers’ General Manager and the team’s Senior Vice President, Sports Medicine and Performance, were interviewed as part of the process. The Pacers confirmed that it had provided all of the information requested by the league, and the team reported that an interview with Coach Carlisle or a team physician wasn’t necessary.”
NBA statement regarding the comments from Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle about the league’s investigation into tanking (and subsequent fine) last week, to @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/z5mF7kqNI9
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 24, 2026
The NBA world now pities the Pacers and believes that the league isn’t doing the team any justice. Here’s what some had to say on X:
Daman Rangoola wrote: “Pacers are rightly pissed. This is what happens when you don’t do anything until the problem has festered, and then drop random hammers at random times. There’s no rhyme or reason or consistency, and it’s a distraction to blame a specific team – change the incentives or shut up.”
Pacers are rightly pissed. This is what happens when you don’t do anything until the problem has festered and then drop random hammers at random times. There’s no rhyme or reason or consistency, and it’s a distraction to blame a specific team – change the incentives or shut up https://t.co/k8bk6Kb3DU
— Daman Rangoola (@damanr) February 24, 2026
Caitlin Cooper wrote: “The league asking if the Pacers would consider medicating Aaron Nesmith so that he could play in the game that they were fined for sitting out players seems like a massive overreach. Absurd.”
The league asking if the Pacers would consider medicating Aaron Nesmith so that he could play in the game that they were fined for sitting out players seems like a massive overreach. Absurd. https://t.co/2MlvhjWLTN
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) February 24, 2026
iPacers.com reacted: “So the NBA didn’t talk to the Pacers medical staff, didn’t talk to the players, and proposed medicating injured players for them to play through injuries in an already lost season when deciding to fine the organization $100k. Wow.”
So the NBA didn’t talk to the Pacers medical staff, didn’t talk to the players, and proposed medicating injured players for them to play through injuries in an already lost season when deciding to fine the organization $100k.
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) February 24, 2026
John Karalis wrote: “Pacers side of the story doesn’t make the league look great.”
Pacers side of the story doesn’t make the league look great https://t.co/KljAQTi2ia
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) February 24, 2026
According to several sources, if the Pacers were to commit another tanking violation, the NBA would fine them $250,000. If the issue persists, the league may fine them $1.25 million or more.
