So the Magic didn’t get the win at MSG, but Desmond Bane clearly wasn’t leaving without making headlines. With just over six minutes left in the fourth and the Knicks inching toward a 106–100 win, OG Anunoby went tumbling out after a strip while the ball stayed live, and Bane suddenly grabbed it and fired it straight at him from inbounds. The refs needed about half a second to process before slapping Bane with a technical. 

Desmond Bane’s night didn’t end with that final whistle. The real sting came the next day when the NBA slapped him with a $35,000 fine for what it officially labeled “throwing the game ball with force at an opponent in an unsportsmanlike manner.”

That opponent was OG Anunoby, with whom he did share a laugh and a handshake afterward, but that didn’t exactly cancel the bill.

Meanwhile, the Knicks quietly kept stacking wins. Sunday’s result bumped them to 16–7, sitting second in the East, while the Magic slipped to 14–10 in fifth. Anunoby had 21 points with five made threes, continuing a season where he’s knocking down a career-best 40.9% from deep.

But here’s where it gets tricky: this wasn’t Bane’s first brush with trouble this year. Back on November 4 against Atlanta, he grabbed Onyeka Okongwu’s forearm on a hard foul and then fired the ball toward him as he hit the floor. After replay, officials upgraded it to a flagrant, added a technical, and sent him off early.

Because of that earlier moment, Sunday’s flare-up didn’t look like some one-off mistake. The league and plenty of people watching have noticed the pattern, with broadcasters, analysts, and fans wondering why these situations keep following Bane around. 

Fans weigh in: Jokes, justifications and reactions to Bane’s fines

Another fan couldn’t resist dragging in the league’s favorite trouble magnet, joking, “That’s it? Draymond woulda got suspended and fined 100k 😂.” And honestly, that reputation follows Draymond everywhere. He’s known as one of the rougher characters in the league, so much so that a fan once got handed a red warning card for messing with him. Forget opponents, even spectators think twice when he’s heated.

Nobody has forgotten that hilarious moment when he tried jawing with Wembanyama and had to crane his neck just to look up at him. But fans aren’t wrong about the fines. According to Spotrac (as per last season), Green was fined $50,000 for the comments, bringing his career total in fines to $992,000. Green has been suspended six times, racking up over $3.2 million in lost pay.

Another fan couldn’t resist chiming in, quipping, “35K is nothing to these guys. Should be much more.” And when you actually look at NBA salaries, it’s hard to argue, players like Bane, whose net worth in 2025 is estimated between $15–20 million, make that fine barely a blip.

Add in endorsement deals and brand partnerships, and the $35K seems even smaller. Still, it’s enough to send a message, keep players in check, and remind them there are limits on the court.

Some fans even jumped to Bane’s defense, saying, “League is soft, standard bball play.” But the NBA rulebook does state that a technical, unsportsmanlike act, or flagrant foul is needed for an ejection, but there are exceptions. Even Commissioner Adam Silver seems to get the fans’ perspective, noting, “They wanna see physical defense.”

It’s a delicate balance between keeping the game safe and letting players play hard, and moments like Bane’s remind everyone just how fine that line can be.

Another fan jokingly asked, “Does OG get the cash? Lol it’s only right.” Logically, you’d think so, he was on the receiving end, after all, but nope, the money doesn’t go to him. Instead, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association make sure it goes to the greater good. Player fines are split between the league, the Players Association Foundation, and other charitable causes they support. So Anunoby can just keep cruising along with his $25–30 million net worth, while Bane’s $35K is added to the league’s pot.