Rick Carlisle pushes back on Pacers fine; NBA says process was followed

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle isn’t buying the NBA’s explanation for why his team was fined — and the league is making it clear it disagrees with his version of events.

The Pacers were fined $100,000 earlier this month for violating the NBA’s player participation policy after holding out Pascal Siakam and two other players in a Feb. 3 game against Utah. In announcing the penalty, commissioner Adam Silver said the league believed Indiana had prioritized “draft position over winning.”

Speaking Tuesday on 107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis, Carlisle said he felt the league got it wrong.

“I didn’t agree with it,” Carlisle said. “There was a league lawyer that was doing the interview that kind of unilaterally decided that Aaron Nesmith, who had been injured the night before and couldn’t hold the ball, should have played in the game, which just seems ridiculous.”

Carlisle said the Pacers offered access to their own medical staff (and even the player himself) but were turned down.

“During the interview process… we asked them if they wanted to talk to the doctors, our doctors, about it because it was something that was documented by our doctors and trainers,” Carlisle said. “They said no, they didn’t need to. They talked to their doctors, who did not examine Aaron Nesmith. And we asked them if they wanted to talk to Aaron, and they said no, they didn’t need to.

“This was shocking to me.”

Carlisle added that league representatives asked whether Indiana had considered medicating Nesmith so he could play.

“That was very surprising,” Carlisle said. “Especially when we were 30 games under .500.”

A few hours later, the NBA pushed back.

“Coach Carlisle’s description of the process that went into the decision to fine the Indiana Pacers is inaccurate,” an NBA spokesperson told The Athletic. “An independent physician led the medical review. In addition, the Pacers’ general manager and the team’s senior vice president of sports medicine and performance were interviewed as part of the process.”

The league added that Indiana confirmed it had provided all requested information and said interviews with Carlisle or a team physician were deemed unnecessary.