Former Celtics Champion Calls For Harsher Penalties From NBA For Tanking Teams

Entering the 2025-26 campaign, the overarching presumption was that the Boston Celtics would be undergoing a “reset” year after losing several key pieces of their rotation. And yet, the team is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the All-Star break, with Jayson Tatum appearing to be close to a return to the court as well.

With so much talent headed out the exit door, some folks wanted the Celtics to tank this season so that when Tatum returned, they would be in the best possible position to go on another championship run. Instead, they could conceivably go on that run this year, regardless of whether or not he can get back on the court.

Other teams across the NBA are pretty openly tanking, with the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers recently getting fined by commissioner Adam Silver for resting healthy players. One guy who has a big opinion on this matter is former Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins, who revealed he wants to see harsher penalties for these tanking teams.

“I wish Adam Silver would’ve fined them $5 million for disrespecting the game of basketball,” Perkins said on “NBA on ESPN.” “Let’s stop being nice about it and throwing out the word ‘tanking.’ No, it’s actually throwing games.”

The Jazz were fined $500,000 in this instance, while the Pacers only received a $100,000 slap on the wrist. In the grand scheme of things, both of these fines likely won’t even register on the radar of these teams, so it’s fair to say that Perkins raises a good point.

The NBA has struggled to find a way to combat tanking in recent years, and even though there are still two months of regular-season action to go, teams are already jostling for positioning in the 2026 NBA Draft. Heftier punishments like Perkins suggests won’t change much, but it’s a step in the right direction, which is what the league needs right now.