The NBA fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $100,000 for holding out Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley against the Miami Heat last week for a game.
While there have been some instances of this in the NBA, it's also important to remember the health side of things.
Players are getting hurt more than ever around the league, and for a Cavaliers team looking to win a championship, they can't be too worried about a random game in November, unfortunately.
When speaking to reporters about the NBA's decision to fine them $100,000, head coach Kenny Atkinson said that he has to look out for the Cavaliers' best interest, and he's more focused on keeping his guys healthy than anything else.
"Can I be frank? No," Atkinson said when asked if he agreed with, or accepted, the NBA's ruling, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon. "I gotta look at the Cavs' best interest."
"I think my No. 1 job is to protect the health of our players," Atkinson said. "Obviously, we'll have a discussion with the organization (about) what that looks like going forward, but that's a big part of my job and how we manage that.
"Personally, I'll rock with that decision."
Health is more important than a fine for Cavaliers
The NBA is in a weird spot when it comes to these injuries and all that’s unfolded.
It's an unfortunate part of the game, but until they lower the number of games in a season, it likely won't change.
Until then, they should continue to expect players to be held out for rest reasons.
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