Why NBA didn't fine Devin Booker for skipping media availability after Phoenix Suns lost to Denver

Jimmy Butler spoke to reporters following Tuesday’s Game 4 loss to Boston after getting fined $25,000 for "failure to participate in required media availability" following Sunday’s Game 3 win in the Eastern Conference finals.

That led to one question in Phoenix.

Why wasn’t Devin Booker fined for skipping out on postgame media availability after the Suns lost Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals to Denver that ended their season?

An NBA official told The Republic a warning is first given when players don’t participate in postgame media availability.

Then if the player doesn’t do postgame media availability again, a fine is handed down.

Booker had yet to receive a warning as he had done postgame press conferences throughout Phoenix’s playoff run. He had already left the locker room at Footprint Center before it was opened for media access after Game 6.

Monty Williams, Kevin Durant and Cameron Payne did interviews in the media room following the 25-point defeat on May 11 to the No. 1-seeded Nuggets, who have since advanced to the NBA Finals.

Booker also didn’t talk to reporters the next day at the team’s practice facility, but the NBA official said it’s not mandatory for players to do postseason availability.

Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Damion Lee, Jock Landale and Williams all talked that next day.

The Suns fired Williams as head coach on May 13.

Butler did receive a warning during this year's playoffs.

Last season, the Heat All-Star guard was also fined $25,000 “for failure to comply with his media obligations” during 2022 NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland as he didn’t talk with reporters after the game.

The NBA announced the fine was also due to Butler’s “noncompliance with the resulting NBA investigation” on the matter.

Butler is the second player to receive a fine during this year’s playoffs for “violating league rules governing media interview access.”

Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks was also fined $25,000 for “failure to participate in team postgame media availability” during the first round of the playoffs against the Lakers.

Brooks drew national attention for his answer to a question in the Memphis locker room at FedExForum about his on-court trash talk with LeBron James during Game 2 the Grizzlies won to even the series.

“I don’t care, he’s old,” said Brooks after being asked if he should verbally engage with James. “I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. Should’ve been saying that earlier.”

Brooks continued with his now famous “I poke bears” comment.

“I don’t respect no one till they come and give me 40 (points),” Brooks said. “I pride myself on what I do, defense and taking on any challenge that’s on the board.”

The seventh-seeded Lakers won the series in six games over the second-seeded Grizzlies.

No player was fined during the 2022-23 regular season for skipping out on media interviews.

During the regular season, it’s understood a player might take a break from doing postgame interviews from time to time over the course of 82 games, but if it happens repeatedly, a warning is given.

Last season, the NBA fined the New York Knicks $25,000 after they refused to make Julius Randle available following a 102-91 home loss Jan. 20, 2022, to New Orleans.

Randle received a $25,000 fine nearly two weeks before that for "egregious use of profane language during media interviews" as he cursed after a practice Jan. 5, 2022 and following New York's 108-105 win Jan. 6, 2022, over Boston at Madison Square Garden.

SNY's Ian Begley had reported Randle hadn't done a postgame interview for "several games" prior to his unavailability after the Knicks lost to the Pelicans.

During the NBA-shortened 2020-21 season, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets were each fined $35,000 for Irving’s “repeated refusal to participate in team postgame media availability,” the league announced May 5, 2021.

Irving responded to the fine on Instagram: “I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more.”

This was after Irving and the Nets were each fined $25,000 for failure to comply with the NBA’s media guidelines as Irving declined numerous requests to speak to reporters during training camp.

The 2020-21 season started in December 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Players tend to not talk to media while injured for an extended period. The NBA has a “long-term injured player media access" policy regarding players doing interviews while out with an injury.

“If a player is injured and will miss two weeks or longer, the player must be available to the Media within one week of the injury (except in extreme cases approved by the league office).  From that point, the player is not required to hold a Media availability session until he returns to team practice.  Team practice is defined as a session in which the entire team is in attendance and five-on-five activities occur.  Once the player returns to practice, he is required to be available a minimum of once per week until he returns to game action.  Once he returns to games, normal access rules apply.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why NBA didn't fine Devin Booker for skipping media availability after Suns' Game 6 loss