LeBron James Responds to Flopping Fine as NBA Backs Foul No. 6 in Game 4

The firm hand of NBA discipline has come down from up high, reaching into the wallets of LeBron James, Lance Stephenson and David West for a trio of flops in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. What's more, the league took a longer look at James' controversial sixth foul—a trip of Lance Stephenson on a fourth-quarter pick-and-roll—and concluded that the whistle was warranted.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson and his staff "reviewed the play several times and zeroed in on video which shows James sticking out his foot, stepping on Stephenson's foot, tripping Stephenson and impeding his ability to defend."

In other words, it was a legitimate foul.

At the time, James was clearly upset by the call, retreating to the baseline instead of the bench with a look of frustration and disbelief on his face. After the game, he told reporters he thought he was "stationary" and argued that Stephenson was the one who created the contact on the play.

According to an earlier report from Zillgitt, James also said: "It was a couple of calls that I didn't feel like were personal fouls on me. That's how the game goes sometimes."

Since then, James seems to have taken both decisions—his flopping fine and the validation of his sixth foul—in stride.

His go-with-the-flow attitude could have something to do with his desire to focus on dealing with an Indiana Pacers team that looks fully capable of taking his Miami Heat down to the wire in this hotly contested series. He's got plenty to worry about besides what the league office does in the aftermath of games.

Of course, his lack of concern probably also has something to do with the total insignificance of the fine. ESPN's Tom Haberstroh put things in perspective.

Now that the controversy of Game 4 is officially in the rear-view mirror, perhaps we can all get back to enjoying the what's become a fantastic series. At least until the very next whistle, when both fan bases simultaneously erupt, indignantly shouting that the league is rigging its games.

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