NBA Suspends Champagnie and Mitchell One Game, Issues Fines After Thunder-Wizards Fight
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The NBA handed one-game suspensions to Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell for their involvement in a bench-clearing altercation that erupted Saturday during the second quarter of the Thunder’s win over the Wizards, the league announced.
Both players will sit without pay for “fighting and escalating an on-court altercation that spilled into the spectator stands,” according to the official release.
Additional Penalties
Thunder center Jaylin Williams was fined $50,000, while Oklahoma City guard Cason Wallace and Wizards forward Anthony Gill were docked $35,000 each for their roles in the incident.
Technical Fouls and Ejections
After an extended video review Saturday, officials assessed two technical fouls apiece to Champagnie and Williams, resulting in automatic ejections. Mitchell and Wallace received one technical each and were also removed from the game.
In a pool report, crew chief John Goble said Champagnie and Williams first drew technicals for shoving during a dead ball. Champagnie’s second technical was for striking Mitchell in the face, while Williams picked up a second for actions during the ensuing fight. Goble added that Mitchell and Wallace were ejected for escalating rather than calming the dispute.
Gill was not penalized during the game, but the league imposed a fine after further review.
Financial Impact
Because of their lower salaries, Champagnie and Mitchell will forfeit smaller amounts than the fined players. Champagnie loses $13,503 of his $2.35 million salary, and Mitchell will surrender $17,241 from his $3 million contract for the 2025-27 season.
Source: Hoops Rumors
