NBA technical foul suspensions, explained: Fines, league leaders, records & more

Gilbert McGregor

NBA technical foul suspensions, explained: Fines, league leaders, records & more image

There are a number of ways to talk about fouls in the NBA, but let's get technical for a second.

At essentially all levels of basketball, any player or coach that receives two technical fouls in one game is disqualified and ejected from said game — the NBA is no exception.

Unique to the NBA is a technical foul tally that can result in an automatic suspension if an individual accrues enough technical fouls.

How many technical fouls result in an automatic suspension? Here are the NBA's rules on how technical fouls can cause a player to miss time.

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NBA technical foul suspensions, explained: Fines, league leaders, records & more

An NBA player is suspended once he receives his 16th technical foul of the season.

After a player receives his 16th tech, that player is suspended for each two additional technical fouls. This means a suspension would be levied after a player receives technical foul No. 18, technical foul No. 20 and so on.

Fines

An NBA player is fined for every technical foul he receives. Fines for technical fouls are tiered, as a player is fined more as he inches closer to his 16th technical.

Here's how much a player is fined for a technical foul in the NBA:

  • Technical fouls 1-5: $2,000 fine each
  • Technical fouls 6-10: $3,000 fine each
  • Technical fouls 11-15: $4,000 fine each
  • Technical foul 16: $5,000 fine + one game suspension
  • Each additional technical foul: $5,000 fine
  • Each two additional technical fouls (18, 20, etc.): $5,000 fine + one-game suspension

When a player is suspended, his pay for that game is also withheld, so in addition to the $5,000 fine, a player misses out on a game check.

If a player receives his 16th technical foul during the final game of the regular season, his suspension does not carry over into the postseason or the ensuing regular season.

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NBA technical foul leaders 2022-23

Current through games played on March 26 via NBA.

  Player Team Technical fouls
1. Dillon Brooks Grizzlies 18
2. Draymond Green Warriors 16
3. Luka Doncic Mavericks 16
4. Trae Young Hawks 14
5. Anthony Edwards Timberwolves 13
6. DeMar DeRozan Bulls 11
  Jordan Poole Warriors 11
  Kelly Oubre Jr. Hornets 11
  Julius Randle Knicks 11
10. De'Aaron Fox Kings 11
  Kevin Durant Suns 11
  Patrick Beverly Bulls 10
  Bojan Bogdanovic Pistons 10
  Marcus Morris Sr. Clippers 10
15. Devin Booker Suns 9
  Nic Claxton Nets 9
  Josh Hart Knicks 9

Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks picked up his 16th technical foul on Friday, March 3, and he was suspended for the team's game on Sunday, March 5. He will be suspended for each two additional technical fouls he picks up during the remainder of the 2022-23 regular season.

On Monday, March 20, Brooks picked up his 18th technical foul of the season, earning him another one-game suspension for the Grizzlies.

On Wednesday, March 15, Draymond Green was whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season, earning him a one-game suspension for Golden State's meeting with the Hawks on Friday, March 17.

On Sunday, March 26, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul and will face a one-game suspension, ruling him out of Monday's matchup against the Indiana Pacers, unless it is rescinded.

Doncic received his 16th technical in the 2021-22 season finale, but he did not have to serve a suspension because it came at the end of the year.

NBA Playoffs technical foul rules

If a player plays for a team that advances to the postseason, his technical foul tally is cleared, though automatic suspensions still exist in the NBA Playoffs.

In the playoffs, a player is suspended once he receives his seventh technical foul. Similar to the regular season, playoff techs are associated with an escalating scale of fines.

  • Technical fouls 1-2: $2,000 fine each
  • Technical fouls 3-4: $3,000 fine each
  • Technical fouls 5-6: $4,000 fine each
  • Technical foul 7: $5,000 fine + one-game suspension
  • Each additional technical foul: $5,000 fine
  • Each two additional technical fouls (9,11, etc.): $5,000 fine + one-game suspension

Rasheed Wallace's technical fouls record

Prior to the rule that was put in place in 2006, Rasheed Wallace earned quite a reputation for his tendency to pick up technical fouls.

By many accounts, Wallace was whistled for over 300 technical fouls during his 16-year NBA career — that averages out to around 19 T's per season. Of course, the rule was put in place 11 years into Wallace's career, and his technical peak came well before.

After picking up 38 technical fouls during the 1999-00 season, Wallace received 41 techs in 80 games during the 2000-01 season — essentially getting whistled for a technical foul every other game.

Under the current rules, a player would serve 14 suspensions on the path to breaking Wallace's infamous mark, which is exactly why it will stand the test of time.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.