Flopping has been a problem for the NBA since Kings’ center Vlade Divac popularized it in the mid-90′s, but it was pretty much ignored until just recently.

Commissioner David Stern finally instituted an anti-flopping measure, with fines being issued to offenders who “attempt to either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a foul call by exaggerating the effect of contact with an opposing player,” per the NBA’s official explanation.

In-game, the call will still be up to the officials, so games can still be won or lost by a player drawing a fake foul, but they’ll do it at their own risk. League officials will look over game tape and determine if a player truly flopped or whether it was legitimate, issuing the following fines based on the number of violations:

• Violaition 1: Warning from the NBA
• Violation 2: $5,000 fine
• Violation 3: $10,000 fine
• Violation 4: $15,000 fine
• Violation 5: $30,000 fine

With those types of salary hits coming into play, fans should definitely see a decrease in flopping. For players who have made a career out of embellishing contact (see: Manu Ginobili, Anderson Varejao, Reggie Evans), it will mean that they have to essentially rework their playing styles.

No one on the Pistons roster is considered a serial flopper, meaning the rule probably won’t affect them as much as others. In just a few months of being a Piston, rookie guard Kim English has shown a knack for taking charges, but none have seemed like punishable flopping offenses.

There are plenty of things that players, fans and team management may disagree about, but flopping surely can’t be one of them. While it’ll likely have an adjustment period, this first measure by the commissioner’s office is a good step towards ridding the NBA of flopping.

Just two days after securing USA Basketball’s first triple-double, James scored 18 points, corralled seven rebounds and dished out seven assists, helping the United States defeat the Argentinians for the second time in three games, 109-83.

After allowing 59 points in the first half in their last head-to-head game, the United States held Manu Ginobili and company to 40 points this time and turned the game towards their favor in a decisive third quarter. Much like their other wins thus far, the third frame has been the key to victory for the United States, as they outscored Argentina 27-17 in this one.

Ginobili, who scored 18, opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to pull Argentina to within four points, but Kevin Durant and James took over with several quick offensive strikes. Durant finished with 19 on 5-10 shooting from beyond the arc, while the 2011 NBA MVP used bruising strength to power to the basket and score.

Carmelo Anthony showed off his scoring prowess once again, scoring 18 points on 50% shooting and four 3-pointers. Kevin Love lead the US again with nine rebounds, who outrebounded Argentina 40-23 on the boards.

With Spain defeating Russia 67-59 on Friday, the US will once again face off against them for a gold medal. The last time these two played for a gold medal, the Americans pulled away in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, winning 118-107. Tipoff for Sunday’s game is 10 AM.