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NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement against the decision by Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to send home Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green instead of traveling with the team to play the Miami Heat on Thursday.

"I apologize to all NBA fans," said Stern. "This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming."

A source tells Adrian Wojnarowski that the Spurs received no word from the NBA about the decision prior to Stern's statement.

The Lakers received a $25,000 fine in April of 1990 for sitting Magic Johnson and James Worthy in a late regular season game.

Jerry Buss apologized to the fans of the Blazers, as the game was held in Portland.

Just wondering what your thoughts are with this.

As I think about it Popavich is on to something here, that he probably figured out last year during the shortening season. Oddly this all came about because of the NBA forcing the schedule. The NBA admins. brought it upon themselves and they are trying to fine the Spurs to fix it.
It is in the teams best interest to win games and ultimately win the championship. Many teams flop at the end of the season for draft picks, teams don't play to win but rather get a playoff spot, and now they are outright not playing their best players for rest.
The NBA needs to learn something here and shorten the season and/or stop scheduling back-to-back games. Each team should get at least a days rest and if only one days rest then they should get two days rest between the next game.

Players are routinely rested during the year, but rarely is it so blatant. Having them not even travel with the team was a bad move. Whether resting a player is "right" or "wrong," the Spurs deserve the fine for being so stupid as to think this wouldn't cause problems for them.

Stern is wrong on this one.

Adam Silver (commissioner-in-waiting) said last year, when the Spurs rested their guys against the Jazz:

“The strategic resting of particular players on particular nights is within the discretion of the teams. And Gregg Popovich in particular is probably the last coach that I would second-guess.”

They still nearly beat the Heat... In fact, the Heat are pretty lucky to have won that game.

Pops is the greatest coach in NBA history... he can do whatever the heck he wants as far as I'm concerned.

usually i would say pop is being unfair and deserves a fine. but the timing of sterns remarks and how he said them, "apologize to the fans...." ???? since when was stern ever interested in the fans?! he cares about one thing and one thing only. $$$$$. when stern's and pop's goals start to conflict, then you know who is in the wrong business. and it is not pop's job to entertain.

Fans pay money to watch these games, the money that pays the salaries of the players and coaches. They agreed to the job now frickn do it. If a new situation needs to be negotiated then go about it through the correct channels but not when people pay to watch it and there are bets being taken on it.

Sparky6string wrote:Fans pay money to watch these games, the money that pays the salaries of the players and coaches. They agreed to the job now frickn do it. If a new situation needs to be negotiated then go about it through the correct channels but not when people pay to watch it and there are bets being taken on it.

Then start by fining any one of the teams that tanked last season. That's 100x worse.

And don't get me started on betting. Is your argument that gambling is more important than a coach - the best coach - being able to manage his team as he sees fit?

StocktonShorts wrote:

Sparky6string wrote:Fans pay money to watch these games, the money that pays the salaries of the players and coaches. They agreed to the job now frickn do it. If a new situation needs to be negotiated then go about it through the correct channels but not when people pay to watch it and there are bets being taken on it.

Then start by fining any one of the teams that tanked last season. That's 100x worse.

And don't get me started on betting. Is your argument that gambling is more important than a coach - the best coach - being able to manage his team as he sees fit?

I'm saying they have a responsibility that they need to meet. I agree about the tanking as well. Give us an honest game.

Sparky6string wrote:

StocktonShorts wrote:

Sparky6string wrote:Fans pay money to watch these games, the money that pays the salaries of the players and coaches. They agreed to the job now frickn do it. If a new situation needs to be negotiated then go about it through the correct channels but not when people pay to watch it and there are bets being taken on it.

Then start by fining any one of the teams that tanked last season. That's 100x worse.

And don't get me started on betting. Is your argument that gambling is more important than a coach - the best coach - being able to manage his team as he sees fit?

I'm saying they have a responsibility that they need to meet. I agree about the tanking as well. Give us an honest game.

The game was in Miami. I doubt many people paid for tickets so they could go watch the Spurs. Hell, the Heat rarely even sell out their own arena. So, I highly doubt many Spurs fans were upset.

Ask yourself, as a fan would you rather the Jazz play their best players every night or win a title/MULTIPLE titles. I'd surely rather have a title. I know I am totally being a conspiracy theorist here, but the league schedules the best team over the last ten years to four road games in five nights, with the last road game against the best team in the NBA, which coincidentally hasn't played in four days. Does this not seem like a plot to exhaust the Spurs while simultaneously resting the Heat, in hopes that the Heat would blow out the OLD DYNASTY SPURS? Seems like a forced changing of the guard.

QuantumMacgyver wrote:

Sparky6string wrote:

StocktonShorts wrote:
Then start by fining any one of the teams that tanked last season. That's 100x worse.

And don't get me started on betting. Is your argument that gambling is more important than a coach - the best coach - being able to manage his team as he sees fit?

I'm saying they have a responsibility that they need to meet. I agree about the tanking as well. Give us an honest game.

The game was in Miami. I doubt many people paid for tickets so they could go watch the Spurs. Hell, the Heat rarely even sell out their own arena. So, I highly doubt many Spurs fans were upset.

Ask yourself, as a fan would you rather the Jazz play their best players every night or win a title/MULTIPLE titles. I'd surely rather have a title. I know I am totally being a conspiracy theorist here, but the league schedules the best team over the last ten years to four road games in five nights, with the last road game against the best team in the NBA, which coincidentally hasn't played in four days. Does this not seem like a plot to exhaust the Spurs while simultaneously resting the Heat, in hopes that the Heat would blow out the OLD DYNASTY SPURS? Seems like a forced changing of the guard.

I come from the old school where men are made of hickory, not unlike Sloan. When I think of this situation I think of the fans that bought their tickets months earlier that were let down by not seeing future all star players play.

Now I disagree with the situation. That schedule rested young legs and ran the old ones ragged. I don't trust Stern any farther than I can throw him so I won't even attempt to argue with conspiracy theories. I have to say though that setting up a genuine rivalry would add more excitement than another dynasty. IE IMO Magic vs Bird was more exciting than Jordan vs the league because I didn't know who was going to win the Celtic vs Laker series'.

As was mentioned earlier the tanking of Golden State helps me to dislike this situation even more. I don't really rememeber this sort of thing way back in the day though it may have happened then too.

I really think the Spurs should have a heavy fine. I am ok that playing their guys limited minutes but sending the players home deserves a huge sanction bc fans paid big money to go to the games.

NBA teams have always selectively chosen who will rest and when. The only thing the Spurs did was announce it publicly. I think the Spurs should be allowed to do what is in the best interest of their team and their players.

This is a stars league and what about the fans that paid to see Tim and company. The spurs owed it to the fans to play their best players. Even if it is for reduced minutes to rest them.

Lava Rock Kid wrote:This is a stars league and what about the fans that paid to see Tim and company.

What about the Jazz fan who bought season tickets in 2010-2011 only to see Jerry Sloan retire and Deron Williams traded midseason? Should Stern have fined the Jazz and apologized to their fans?

It will be interesting to see if there is a rule change requiring non-injured players to travel with the team or some such. If there is, I wonder how the Raja Bell situation will play into it.

It's bad for the health of the league to give an inconsistent product to their customers. Now, Miami has it's own draw, but this is really bad for teams like the Bobcats who may rely on the opposing star power.

Also there's the fact that many people who go to games aren't wealthy season ticket holders. As people who get wealthy from being entertainers they have a responsibility to the paying ticket holders in every city they play. Certainly it's sports and things like injuries, contractual issues and unmet expectations occur, but they need to make every effort to not bite the hands that feed them.

Stern's comments are ludicrous. NBA doesn't own the San Antonio Spurs or any other team. Fans know that players can play or not on any given day based on circumstances that are beyond any kind of possible normative control or even logic parameters.

StocktonShorts wrote:

Lava Rock Kid wrote:This is a stars league and what about the fans that paid to see Tim and company.

What about the Jazz fan who bought season tickets in 2010-2011 only to see Jerry Sloan retire and Deron Williams traded midseason? Should Stern have fined the Jazz and apologized to their fans?

^^ Solid.

DiscoLives4ever wrote:It will be interesting to see if there is a rule change requiring non-injured players to travel with the team or some such.

So the Spurs just make Duncan, Parker and Ginobili "inactive" or "injured" for that game. That rule wouldn't change anything as the NBA doesn't have an injured list.

You'd need to do two things:

- Change the inactive list rules to require a minimum number of games to be missed
- Require active players to travel with the team

I think both of these would need to be collectively bargained and therefore won't be changed any time soon.

Maybe they get NFL type rules about injuries. Harder to do in a league that plays every other day I suppose.