Kyle Lowry received a warning from the NBA on Thursday for violating the league’s anti-flopping rules during the team’s game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
There’s no punishment for the violation other than the scarlet letter that is being brandished as a flopper, but the next time he’ll receive a $5,000 fine, with the fines escalating with each flop thereafter. So Lowry’s probably going to resolve to flop less in 2016.
Lowry definitely embellished contact on the play in question. Bulls big man Bobby Portis was establishing himself after grabbing a loose ball, and his left elbow certainly made contact with Lowry’s chin (or vice versa), but Lowry’s reaction is both delayed and embellished. It’s pretty funny, and it worked! Portis was whistled for a loose ball foul on the play and the Raptors scored on the subsequent possession. Have a look:
The flop is something Zach Lowe brought up this week when he had Lowry on his podcast, and Lowry kind of defended himself by suggesting someone else take an elbow to the chops.
It was more that my chin hit his elbow, he didn’t throw the elbow, but my chin hit his elbow as I was reaching down. But it still hurts…I wanna see people take an elbow to the chin, and see if that hurt or not.
Lowry, by the way, was also warned for a flopping violation back on April 10, 2014 for trying to draw a phantom charge in transition against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
