Nick Friedel

I mean, 500 grand is as much as the league can go at anyone.

I think what they're hoping for actually has two different parts to it.

One, that in Utah, it's so clear what they're doing that

The next time Will Hardy, the coach, looks down on his bench and is like, maybe I shouldn't sub these guys out and attempt to let them play down the stretch.

These games make it so obvious.

But two, what they're hoping for is a lot of these other teams, and I know the Jazz and the Pacers got dinged here, but they don't want to get that kind of fine.

And even more, they don't want the public scrutiny of, all right, well,

Are they really trying tonight?

Is this really on the up and up?

Because you're screwing with the fabric of the game.

My old colleague Bobby Marks said the integrity of the game.

And when you watch, that's the problem.

You're just not sure.

what you're going to see night to night.

And Layla, you and I were at the UC for so many years watching all those Bulls games.

That was never a question that popped in your head.

It was like, all right, do they have enough tonight?

Are they running out of gas?

But you never thought, is everybody giving their all?

And that is what the league has become right now.