The Kaseya Center became witness to an expected brawl a few days ago. Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and the Heat’s Myron Gardner practically got into a fist fight. Security and team personnel had to step in. The first step was rightfully an ejection for both. And after review, the league has decided to punish them further.
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The NBA recently announced that both Pippen Jr. and Gardner will face a $35,000 fine. Luckily, there won’t be any additional punishments for both players. Although it was a hostile exchange between the two, neither of the players has a history of violence. The league hence decided on a monetary fine against them.
The league found Myron Gardner guilty of provoking Scotty Pippen Jr. Notably, the Heat player bumped the Grizzlies guard unnecessarily. Pippen Jr. fell to the floor. Surprisingly, officials did not call for a foul against Gardner. Maybe that played a role in what Pippen decided to do next.
Scotty Pippen Jr., Myron Gardner fined $35K each for their roles in an on-court altercation.
Neither will be suspended.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 23, 2026
Without wasting much time, he went right over to guard Gardner on the opposite end. Within seconds, they were both on the ground, and the referee couldn’t stop breathing down their whistle to divert attention towards the brawl. The duo is lucky to escape with just a fine.
Their clean past turned out to be the safety net. Otherwise, the NBA shows no mercy when they have to punish repeat offenders. Draymond Green has borne that feeling before. And even this season, the league made an example out of players who decided to brawl it out.
The NBA showed no consideration for the Pistons-Hornets brawl
This wasn’t the first brawl of the NBA season. Only a few weeks before, during a Pistons-Hornets game, Jalen Duren and Moussa Diabate’s heated past turned into a mega brawl that stunned the league. Diabate and Duren nearly came to blows. However, the incident escalated to the point that Miles Bridges and Isaiah Stewart made it to the headlines.
The NBA wasn’t going to leave this alone. Adam Silver made sure to make an example out of the incident. Firstly, Pistons center Duren faced a two-game ban for starting the altercation. Teammates Bridges and Diabate were suspended for four games for the same reasons. Stewart absorbed the heaviest punch, facing a seven-game suspension.
The league cited Stewart’s history of unsportsmanlike actions as the basis of his punishment. Likewise, since it’s a suspension, these players won’t get paid. That’s nearly $2 million lost in between these four players. It’s not the biggest figure, but for Pippen Jr. and Gardner, a suspension could have led to significant lost salary.
Hopefully, the NBA doesn’t have to deal with another chaotic display anytime soon.