Kobe Bryant ©Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
In the world of sports, excellence is celebrated, but so are the consequences of misconduct. From professional leagues to international competitions, athletes and teams sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of the rulebook, facing hefty fines as a result. These fines aren’t just a slap on the wrist; they can redefine careers, tarnish legacies, and reshape the landscape of entire sports industries.
From billionaire pocket change to sums that could buy small islands, here’s a list of some of the harshest fines in sports history and what the guilty culprits did to warrant these eye-popping amounts…there are no winners here.
1. John McEnroe Abuses An Official With His Sharp Tongue
Year of Fine: 1987
Est. Fine Total: $17,500*
The original “Bad Boy” of tennis, John McEnroe, had a reputation for losing his cool and flipping out a little. Sadly, the target of his tirades was usually whoever was the chair ump of the given match. Perhaps the pinnacle of McEnroe’s tantrums was during a match at the 1987 US Open.
John McEnroe Abuses An Official With His Sharp Tongue ©Tony Duffy/Getty Images
McEnroe was given multiple unsportsmanlike penalties for a series of altercations with the match’s ump, in which John voiced his displeasure with how the match had been called. Thanks to McEnroe’s vocal performance, he was suspended for 2 months and fined $17,500 — in 1987, that was a lot of money.
2. Kobe Bryant’s Wrong Word Choice
Year of Fine: 2011
Est. Fine Total: $100,000*
From infidelity to the inability to coexist with a particular 7-foot-1 future hall-of-fame teammate, the late Kobe Bryant had his fair share of issues off the court early in his career. Still, he always seemed to keep a level head about himself once hitting the hardwood until 2011 when his emotions got the best of him.
Kobe Bryant Uses The Wrong Word Choice ©Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Kobe was so infuriated after receiving a technical foul that upon taking his place on the bench, he proceeded to holler an anti-homosexual slur loud enough that the NBA had no choice but to hand KB8 a hefty $100,000 fine. Bryant apologized on his own accord, citing personal frustration and stupidity as his action’s provocateurs.
3. Cuban Admits To Tanking
Year of Fine: 2018
st. Fine Total: $600,000*
For professional athletes, losing is never easy to handle. However, there is an upside to losing. In most professional leagues, a team receives better odds at a higher pick in the draft if they finish at or near the bottom of the standings. This has caused several team owners to call for their teams to intentionally lose games.
Cuban Admits To Tanking Thearon ©W. Henderson / Getty Images
Tons of teams have ‘tanked’ over the years, but none have come out and admitted it as blatantly as Mark Cuban. The NBA believed this violated the integrity of the game and thus issued the fine. Cuban has since accepted his punishment but has stated that he still feels he did nothing wrong and was simply trying to do what was best for his team.
4. Max Scherzer’s Sticky Catch
Year of Fine: 2023
Est. Fine Total: $5,000*
Every baseball pitcher knows that the use of any sort of sticky adhesive substance on their hands is against the rules. Max Scherzer was suspended 10 games in April 2023 after it was determined the New York Mets player had some sort of strange sticky stuff on his hands. He was also fined $10,000, something Scherzer says is just plain wrong.
Max Scherzer’s Sticky Catch ©Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
He maintains his innocence and, at the time of writing, plans to appeal. Scherzer claims that the substances were a mix of rosin, sweat, and the alcohol he was instructed to use to wash his hands. “I don’t get how I get ejected when I’m in front of the MLB officials, doing exactly what you want,” he told reporters after.
Editor’s Note: Max Scherzer opted not to appeal his suspension. However, his fine was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000.
5. Nick Kyrgios’ Cincinnati Open 2019 Meltdown
Year of Fine: 2019
Est. Fine Total: $113,000*
Nick Kyrgios has been fined for quite a few things over the years. Ball abuse, offensive language, racket slamming, throwing courtside furniture around, berating officials, insulting fans, spitting, you name it, he’s probably been fined for it. For all the money and matches the hot-headed Aussie has lost, few have probably stung as much as his second-round exit against Karen Khachanov at the 2019 Cincinnati Open.
Nick Kyrgios’ Cincinnati Open 2019 Meltdown ©si.robi/Wikimedia Commons
The Aussie won the first set in a tie-break and then seemingly fell apart. Other than poor play, the following two sets saw Kyrgios holler obscenities and insults at the match’s chair ump throughout the match and break two of his own rackets following his defeat. A defeat that inevitably cost Nick $113,000.
6. Marcus Isn’t ‘Smart’ With His Words
Year of Fine: 2023
Est. Fine Total: $35,000*
On January 5th, 2023, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was fined $35,000 for an incident that took place during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The altercation led to his ejection from the game and prompted the NBA to issue a hefty fine.
Marcus Isn’t ‘Smart’ With His Words ©Ian Maule/Getty Images
After receiving his second technical foul, Smart didn’t hold back in letting the officials know how he felt about their work — he did not hold back. This was not a ‘Smart’ move by Marcus, who had to pay up to the tune of $35,000 for his choice of words when speaking to the refs.
7. Ricky Williams Victim Of A Flawed Policy
Year of Fine: 2004
Est. Fine Total: $650,000*
Ricky Williams was well on his way to the hall of fame until a series of violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy derailed his career. Shortly after the 2003/2004 season concluded, it came out that Williams had tested positive for cannabis on a random drug test a few months earlier. The league issued Williams a $650,000 fine and a four-game suspension to begin the following season.
Ricky Williams Victim Of A Flawed Policy ©Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Ricky Williams paid the fine and then retired instead of serving his suspension. He came back a few years later, only to be suspended an entire season for cannabis use yet again. Meanwhile, players charged with gun possession without proper permits are given slaps on the wrist and not much more.
8. Miami Heat Violate Injury Report Rules
Year of Fine: 2022
Est. Fine Total: $25,000*
Professional sports leagues have rules in place for a reason. Some of these rules get passed over and neglected because they have become dated. Others because they simply make no sense. In December 2022, the NBA handed down a hefty fine of $25,000 to the Miami Heat for violating injury reporting rules.
Miami Heat Violate Injury Report Rules @yahoosports/Pinterest
The Heat had a number of players listed as “probable” or “questionable,” all of whom suited up for the team’s next game. The problem is that the players’ statuses were not updated to “available,” and clearly, it wasn’t obvious enough by them playing.
9. Moss Shows Fans At Lambeau A Faux Moon
Year of Fine: 2005
Est. Fine Total: $10,000*
Above all else, Randy Moss was one of the greatest wide receivers to play in the NFL. Secondly, he was an instigator who would do almost anything he could get away with and many things he couldn’t get away with if he tried.
Moss Shows Fans At Lambeau A Faux Moon ©Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images
It’s difficult to hide a breach in league protocol when you do it on national television. In hindsight, celebrating a TD by pretending to moon the Green Bay Packers’ faithful in their own home probably wasn’t the best idea. All these years later, Moss claims the “moon heard ‘round the world” was an act of revenge.
10. A-Rod Caught Using PEDs
Year of Fine: 2014
Est. Fine Total: $35 million*
Alex Rodriguez dominated the MLB for the better part of 2 decades, winning several awards and the admiration of fans and players alike. However, his accolades no longer mattered once he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2013 — a big no-no in professional sports.
A-Rod Caught Using PEDs ©Al Bello/Getty Images
After being found out, A-Rod was suspended for the rest of 2013 and the entire 2014 campaign without pay. With an annual salary of over $25 million, and sponsorships with Nike, Pepsi, and Rawlings sure to be suspended, that meant Rodriguez’s steroid use cost him over $35 million permanently besmirched his otherwise hall of fame worthy legacy.