Stern fines Cavs $100,000 for comments

[Rashi]

David Stern said in Monday's press conference that Dan Gilbert's post-LeBron James tirade "ill advised" and "imprudent" and that he has fined the Cavaliers $100,000.

Stern also said that NBA players and free agents are allowed to talk to each other as free agents and that LeBron and company are not guilty of tampering or collusion. The only way they would investigate tampering charges would be if another team brought a formal complaint. As it stands now, it looks very unlikely the league has any problems with the way things went down in Miami, although Mark Cuban has hinted that he might make a formal complaint.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38214765/ns/sports-player_news/

[RJ87]

David Stern said in Monday's press conference that Dan Gilbert's post-LeBron James tirade "ill advised" and "imprudent" and that he has fined the Cavaliers $100,000.

Stern also said that NBA players and free agents are allowed to talk to each other as free agents and that LeBron and company are not guilty of tampering or collusion. The only way they would investigate tampering charges would be if another team brought a formal complaint. As it stands now, it looks very unlikely the league has any problems with the way things went down in Miami, although Mark Cuban has hinted that he might make a formal complaint.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38214765/ns/sports-player_news/

I hope Cuban does make a complaint. As I've said before, I think this was 2 yrs in the making and this whole free agency was just an act by them.

And Lebron should be fined for that ridiculous 1 hour special.

[guava_wrench]

Stern's statements were really spot on. He was correct to criticize Lebron's one hour program and Lebron's lack of consideration for the jilted teams. He was also correct that it is the right of the players to go where they wish when they are free agents.

[JSD]

Wow, $100,000 for making "ill advised" and "imprudent" comments?  That seems a little extreme...

I don't understand why people can't speak their mind in this business. Is complaining about refs in a press conference that big of a deal? Is Stern that insecure? I mean, who cares? It makes the person look like an excuse maker anyway, isn't that punishment enough?

I for one loved Gilbert's letter and think it gave Cav fans some pride and hope.

[Andy Jick]

Too bad Stern couldn't provide Jesse Jerkson with a pound of duct tape.  Sorry, but his comments were stupid, antagonistic and off-base.  Someone should call that man out for his continued comments of reversed, masked racism.

Not for one second (even as a white male) did I ever think Gilbert's comments were based upon LeBron's skin color.  I hate it when people try to bring that into the equation.  Someone should cut Jesse's nuts off...

[Witch-King]

Hilarious. Dan Gilbert got what was coming to him.

Who in their right mind would actually want to play basketball in Cleveland (the most depressing city in the U.S.A.) now that 'The King' is gone AND it turns out that their owner is a huge jerk.

I for one am hoping that the Cavs suck for the next 5-10 years and they move the team to another city. Bring back the Seattle Super-Sonics and then move the Grizzlies to the Eastern Conference...

...Or, they could bring back the Cincinnati Royals, the NBA's original 'royalty' (currently are the Sacramento Kings, though with LeBron James in Miami the Cavaliers might have trouble matching even the Kings in the season-wins column for the next several years) ...   

[Redz]

Too bad Stern couldn't provide Jesse Jerkson with a pound of duct tape.  Sorry, but his comments were stupid, antagonistic and off-base.  Someone should call that man out for his continued comments of reversed, masked racism.

Not for one second (even as a white male) did I ever think Gilbert's comments were based upon LeBron's skin color.  I hate it when people try to bring that into the equation.  Someone should cut Jesse's nuts off...

Jesse never misses an opportunity to call the race card.

[GreenFaith1819]

Too bad Stern couldn't provide Jesse Jerkson with a pound of duct tape.  Sorry, but his comments were stupid, antagonistic and off-base.  Someone should call that man out for his continued comments of reversed, masked racism.

Not for one second (even as a white male) did I ever think Gilbert's comments were based upon LeBron's skin color.  I hate it when people try to bring that into the equation.  Someone should cut Jesse's nuts off...

Jesse never misses an opportunity to call the race card.

My wife and I came to the same conclusion.

We both love Jesse Jackson to life, but the timing of his comments were somewhat confusing to us.

Dan Gilbert is to be respected. Sure - Lebron left, and had a right to leave. But he also disappointed many, many fans, and the Way he did it - totally Classless, IMO.

What Dan Gilbert did was channel that shock, anger, disappointment and sadness into his comments - in a way that I think shows a connection with the fans of CLE.

When Lebron made that announcement - on National Television - my heart dropped for CLE, and I'm not even a fan.

Sometimes, you fight fire with fire - Lebron used ESPN and the sometimes out-of-control "Media Age" to shock CLE, so why can't he take a comment from his former owner?

I was so sure that he would've stayed.

Time heals all wounds, but this one will stick for a bit.

[guava_wrench]

Wow, $100,000 for making "ill advised" and "imprudent" comments?  That seems a little extreme...

I don't understand why people can't speak their mind in this business. Is complaining about refs in a press conference that big of a deal? Is Stern that insecure? I mean, who cares? It makes the person look like an excuse maker anyway, isn't that punishment enough?

I for one loved Gilbert's letter and think it gave Cav fans some pride and hope.

I think it is possible to like Gilbert's letter and to also agree with Stern's decision to fine him. He crossed the line and I can't imagine he didn't know that he would be fined. He just felt it was worth it.

[Andy Jick]

Funny how David Stern touts the league as "entertainment," yet when LeBron's show was provided for pure "entertainment" and Gilbert's letter, though emotionally charged as it was, also providing us with an "entertaining" response to LeBron's action packed hour of Jim Gray excitement, Gilbert gets fined, and LeBron gets a fraudulent reprimand...

...seems like Stern is a bit hypocritical to me. The NBA touts the individual player over the team (ie. "Paul Pierce and the Celtics" - not just "the Celtics"), yet when the individual wants to strut their individualism through a one-hour tv show, Stern somehow find this odd. 

Stern should look in the mirror...he helped create that mess we witnessed that night.

[Bahku]

There will be no investigation, per David Stern.

[LarBrd33]

There will be no investigation, per David Stern.

First of all... I don't care that the Heat signed LeBron.  I don't care that LeBron stabbed Cleveland in the back.  I probably would have too.   I don't even care about his manner of doing it... everyone wanted a spectacle so they got a spectacle.  It was a moment.  I agree with the idea that if LeBron was planning on leaving... his method for announcing it really doesn't matter.  He'd be hated regardless.  So if leaving was the inevitable then his TV special was a moment that was good for most everyone ...  got the NBA craploads of publicity, hyped the crap out of the Heat and gave us all a ton of entertainment. It was even good for LeBron.  Winning cures everything.  Kobe got accused of raping a woman and yet now he's a media darling.   Once LeBron reinvents his game as a modern age Magic Johnson, the Heat become the most fun team in the NBA to watch and the Miami Thrice rattles off a few titles... everyone will be worshipping him again.  I respect his decision.   It will be great for the league. 

Stern obviously had to fine Gilbert for his comments.  Gilbert came across like a crybaby.  You can't blame Gilbert, though... the idiot bought the team with LeBron on it, acted like he owned LeBron... and then when LeBron left, his franchise instantly became worth 100 million less than it was... OUCH!  The guy is a sucker and he's acting like a sucker.   He bought high and now he's being punished for it.

All that said... there are several "fishy" things about this scenario.

#1 - It's slightly fishy that the NBA isn't investigating at all..

#2 - It's slightly fishy that Bosh and Wade took less than the max, but they decided to work out sign-and-trades anyways... even more fishy that they gave up draft picks to the Raptors and Cavs in the process.  Why?  What's the incentive to do that from Miami's perspective?  Am I missing something?.... just comes across fishy if there is no investigation...

#3 - It's slighty fishy that Mike Miller takes $30 million instead of $40 million that he was reportedly offered.  I can kinda understand this one, because he'll make bank being a part of the superteam... but it's still a lot of money to give up in his position.

#4 - It's slighty fishy that Haslem $20 million instead of the $34 million he was offered by the Mavs and Denver... but the same applies.  He's going to be a superstar and theoretically will make bank in local endorsements.

#5 ... most of all.... does anyone else find it slightly fishy everyone had been reporting for months that the salary cap was going to drop from 56 million to 54 million... and instead they raise it to 58 million (making all of the above possible)? ...  I'm not sure who or what decides that... but all these things combined just gives off a fishy feel.

[Bankshot]

There will be no investigation, per David Stern.

First of all... I don't care that the Heat signed LeBron.  I don't care that LeBron stabbed Cleveland in the back.  I probably would have too.   I don't even care about his manner of doing it... everyone wanted a spectacle so they got a spectacle.  It was a moment.  I agree with the idea that if LeBron was planning on leaving... his method for announcing it really doesn't matter.  He'd be hated regardless.  So if leaving was the inevitable then his TV special was a moment that was good for most everyone ...  got the NBA craploads of publicity, hyped the crap out of the Heat and gave us all a ton of entertainment. It was even good for LeBron.  Winning cures everything.  Kobe got accused of raping a woman and yet now he's a media darling.   Once LeBron reinvents his game as a modern age Magic Johnson, the Heat become the most fun team in the NBA to watch and the Miami Thrice rattles off a few titles... everyone will be worshipping him again.  I respect his decision.   It will be great for the league. 

Stern obviously had to fine Gilbert for his comments.  Gilbert came across like a crybaby.  You can't blame Gilbert, though... the idiot bought the team with LeBron on it, acted like he owned LeBron... and then when LeBron left, his franchise instantly became worth 100 million less than it was... OUCH!  The guy is a sucker and he's acting like a sucker.   He bought high and now he's being punished for it.

All that said... there are several "fishy" things about this scenario.

#1 - It's slightly fishy that the NBA isn't investigating at all..

#2 - It's slightly fishy that Bosh and Wade took less than the max, but they decided to work out sign-and-trades anyways... even more fishy that they gave up draft picks to the Raptors and Cavs in the process.  Why?  What's the incentive to do that from Miami's perspective?  Am I missing something?.... just comes across fishy if there is no investigation...

#3 - It's slighty fishy that Mike Miller takes $30 million instead of $40 million that he was reportedly offered.  I can kinda understand this one, because he'll make bank being a part of the superteam... but it's still a lot of money to give up in his position.

#4 - It's slighty fishy that Haslem $20 million instead of the $34 million he was offered by the Mavs and Denver... but the same applies.  He's going to be a superstar and theoretically will make bank in local endorsements.

#5 ... most of all.... does anyone else find it slightly fishy everyone had been reporting for months that the salary cap was going to drop from 56 million to 54 million... and instead they raise it to 58 million (making all of the above possible)? ...  I'm not sure who or what decides that... but all these things combined just gives off a fishy feel.

Glad you brought it up, because I thought that was very fishy too.  I really hate Stern.

[soap07]

#2 - It's slightly fishy that Bosh and Wade took less than the max, but they decided to work out sign-and-trades anyways... even more fishy that they gave up draft picks to the Raptors and Cavs in the process.  Why?  What's the incentive to do that from Miami's perspective?  Am I missing something?.... just comes across fishy if there is no investigation...

What exactly is fishy? All 3 can now get max deals if needed or it creates more cap space to sign players for the Heat.

#3 - It's slighty fishy that Mike Miller takes $30 million instead of $40 million that he was reportedly offered.  I can kinda understand this one, because he'll make bank being a part of the superteam... but it's still a lot of money to give up in his position.

#4 - It's slighty fishy that Haslem $20 million instead of the $34 million he was offered by the Mavs and Denver... but the same applies.  He's going to be a superstar and theoretically will make bank in local endorsements.

What is fishy about this again?