OT: NBA Commissioner David Stern fines LeBron

[campybatman]

First, it's good to be LeBron. Second, it sucks if you aren't LeBron unless you're Kobe. I agree with what's being said on WEEI, Stern wanted to deflect the attention of this story away from the NBA Finals. I think the NBA is afraid of LeBron, of him leaving the NBA. Of course, he wouldn't... Because what's a fine to LeBron? Pocket change?

LeBron James + preferential treatment = BS

If LeBron broke a mandatory rule that requires players to meet with the media, and he didn't... How's he exempt from a rule that's in place for all NBA players?

This might come as little to no consolation to LeBron James: He won't be fined for blowing off reporters after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The NBA's MVP stormed out of Orlando's Amway Arena without speaking to the media Saturday night after the Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted from the playoffs 103-90 by the Magic.

"We are not going to fine LeBron for that," NBA spokesman Tim Frank told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. "We haven't had any issues with him before at all."

If James and the Cavs were still alive in the playoffs, James would have received a warning.

James also did not shake hands with Olympic teammate Dwight Howard or congratulate any Orlando players as he left the floor. On Sunday, he said he sent an e-mail to Howard following Saturday's game.

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/ ... id=4222452

Noting that in the recent past, other players and teams have been fined for failing to meet the league's media guidelines, Cowherd asked why James had not been fined.

"I'm in the process of making a phone call or two now to talk to LeBron ... so I don't want to speak to that at this moment," Stern said.

"So you're not happy?" Cowherd asked.

"I think that's fair to say," Stern replied.

When further asked about James' storming off the court without postgame handshakes with the Magic -- and whether one action was more troubling than the other -- Stern said both were important. "One goes to rules, another goes to values," he said. "I think both of them should be followed."

"Everything's big when you follow the NBA, so I'm going to step back and ask not to be pushed too hard right now [on the incident]," Stern added. "I've got a few irons in the fire."

On Monday, NBA spokesman Tim Frank told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand that James would not be fined, adding, "We haven't had any issues with him before at all."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4224350



Greek team may make $eriou$ run at LeBron after 2010 season

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... on.greece/

[Kefa461]

He's special.....so what else is new



The Commish has spoken......

[campybatman]

This is a good article. He hit on some excellent points. Especially, the point about Joe Dumars and Michael Jordan. I remember Detroit being known as the Bad Boys of the NBA, but I didn't feel Dumars fit into that nickname. I wasn't a fan of him but I didn't dislike him like his teammates. That's the problem with today's stars, they're dislikeable. It's as if you either dislike them or you can't stand them. LeBron isn't really helping the case against me. These young stars just don't have the affable personalities to match their immense talent.

One could ask the question: Did you like the Jordan lead Bulls of the 90's? Sure. But, I never disliked Jordan and company. That's different. That actually lends to my point. It's all about the personality for me at least. I asked myself, who do you like that's young and considered a star? Not on Boston, that's tough. Al Jefferson, I guess. But, that doesn't really count, he's a former Celtic. Wow. I don't have an answer... All the players I'm a fan of are older now. Oh, I like Andrei Kirilenko but he's getting old. Maybe Emeka Okafor since he reminds me of Elton Brand. Yeah, I guess that's it. I either feel indifference toward the majority of players or I totally dislike them. Damn. I can't believe I can't name anyone else who's young. Mind's drawing a blank.

Funny, but James stayed on the court to make sure the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks paid respect to him. As it turns out, there’s one thing allowed to happen at the end of a playoff series: Everyone bows down and kisses the King’s ring. Only, LeBron doesn’t have a ring. He’s never won a game in the NBA Finals.

So, yes, maybe they just have to kiss his feet.

“It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that,” James said.

No, nothing like that. Yes, James cares so much that it isn’t possible to be gracious and humbled.

You know me, he told the reporters in Cleveland on Sunday. I’m a competitor. “If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them,” James said. “It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”

Here’s the question: Who has the guts to tell him that he sounds like an immature, self-absorbed brat?

Here’s the problem for the Cavaliers and James: No one.

It won’t be Cleveland Cavaliers ownership, front office and coaches. It won’t be the NBA. It won’t be Nike. And it sure won’t be those childhood sycophants who surround James and tell everyone what a brilliant businessman LeBron is because they can answer the phone when corporations call for a famous pitchman.

LeBron doesn’t want to win more than Michael Jordan did, but Jordan could stop and shake a winner’s hand. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird could, too. Julius Erving did. Kobe Bryant(notes). Isiah Thomas led a walkout after losing to the Chicago Bulls after winning two NBA titles, but Joe Dumars never followed him. He stayed and shook Jordan’s hand, the way Jordan had always shook his when the Pistons had beaten him.

“M.J. had stopped, shook my hand and hugged me three straight years that we had beaten them in the playoffs,” Dumars once told me. “There was no way I was walking off the court without shaking the Bulls’ hands.”

Within the Cavs, someone needed to tell James that he embarrassed himself and the franchise, but that won’t happen. They’re too scared of him. Most league executives with knowledge of Cleveland’s operation believe it’s far more of an ownership issue, than basketball operations.

If general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown privately disdain the ridiculous posing for pictures that James started with his teammates on a 13-game winning streak, the owner is believed to see the foolishness as a marketing dream.

Someone should’ve told James that the pregame Polaroid act was belittling and beneath a championship contender, but it never happened.

All season, the Cavaliers acted too entitled, too arrogant for a team that’s won nothing. They ran out demanding that Mo Williams(notes) be made an All-Star, when the truth bore itself out in the playoffs: Cleveland has one All-Star. Nevertheless, Williams still embarrassed the Cavs with foolish proclamations and guarantees his middling talent couldn’t deliver.

“If you believe in karma with that nonsense,” one Western Conference executive said, “then Cleveland got what was coming to them.”

The Cavaliers are terrified of James. When you’re around them, it’s sometimes embarrassing to watch the way they tip-toe and grovel with him. In their defense, that’s how James wants it. As a childhood prodigy, that’s all LeBron’s ever known. The Cavs are at his mercy until he becomes a free agent in July of 2010, and that isn’t going to change. There’s no chance that he signs an extension this summer, because that would be the end of the drama, the intrigue and LeBron James(notes) isn’t letting that go away.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns

[tombattor]

Such haters...

[TonyMontana]

Ya I recall Shaq was fined 50k for not addressing the media in 04 finals.

[SonicYouth34]

I know he's the NBA's poster child and snubbing the Magic was classless, but why would he get fined for not speaking to the media?

[spf211]

"I'm a winner" is in reference to... his Gold Medal? An AAU title?

[TonyMontana]

"I'm a winner" is in reference to... his Gold Medal? An AAU title?

LMAO, he could even win that on his own. The only thing he won was a bronze.

[campybatman]

I know he's the NBA's poster child and snubbing the Magic was classless, but why would he get fined for not speaking to the media?

There has been numerous examples of players and their team getting fined by the league in a variety of incidents all pertaining to a player slighting the media. LeBron's incident isn't different. By not being fined, this tells me that there exist a double standard. The league's basically condoning LeBron's behavior because it's LeBron and not Artest.

Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards were fined $15,000 apiece by the NBA on Friday after he ducked out of the team's annual preseason media day, avoiding any discussion of his third left knee operation in 1½ years.

Arenas was penalized "for failing to make himself available to the media," the league said, while Washington was docked the same amount "for failing to ensure that its players comply with NBA media interview rules."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3611074

Forward Rasheed Wallace of the Portland Trail Blazers has been fined $30,000 by the NBA for violating the NBA's media interview access policies.

The fines come from two separate incidents.

The team also was fined $50,000, $25,000 for each incident, for failing to ensure that its players complied with NBA media interview rules.

http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2003/04/ ... 051629291/

[Rocky5000]

He may not have a history of crossing the media, but he blew off shaking hands with the Celtics last year. Just a poor sport I guess.

[MyInsatiableOne]

"I'm a winner" is in reference to... his Gold Medal? An AAU title?

The division title, dude! C'mon!

That article bonsai posted is DEAD-ON...and funny and satisfying to see other team's execs and officials happy at the Cavs' demise, just like everyone outside of Ohio is!

[UGA Hayes]

I haven't been too upset about LeBron's postgame blow-offs... however, I don't know how they could not fine him when its a automatic fine. Too me this is a really really big deal, it absolutely substantiates the underlying feeling that prefential treatment goes on. I can't believe the league would make such a stupid ruling.

[campybatman]

And let's not forget that LeBron and teammates refused to come out onto the floor and instead stayed in their locker room while Boston had their title ceremony in the first home game for Boston this season. To me, that's like saying that you don't want to be out on the floor on the road when the host team does their elaborate pre-game thing on the jumbotron and for the introduction of the home team starters.

I'll say it again, this was an excellent point from the Yahoo article, and summarizes Cleveland's attitude this season to a key.

All season, the Cavaliers acted too entitled, too arrogant for a team that's won nothing. They ran out demanding that Mo Williams(notes) be made an All-Star, when the truth bore itself out in the playoffs: Cleveland has one All-Star. Nevertheless, Williams still embarrassed the Cavs with foolish proclamations and guarantees his middling talent couldn't deliver.

"If you believe in karma with that nonsense," one Western Conference executive said, "then Cleveland got what was coming to them."

http://new.m.yahoo.com/w/ysportshome/ex ... g=en&_ym=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ParticleMan]

Check out ESPN's front page:
"Lebron has benign growth removed from mouth"
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4226010


LMAO. i think it was his foot.

[JohnStarksTheDunk]

This is a good article. He hit on some excellent points. Especially, the point about Joe Dumars and Michael Jordan. I remember Detroit being known as the Bad Boys of the NBA, but I didn't feel Dumars fit into that nickname. I wasn't a fan of him but I didn't dislike him like his teammates. That's the problem with today's stars, they're dislikeable. It's as if you either dislike them or you can't stand them. LeBron isn't really helping the case against me. These young stars just don't have the affable personalities to match their immense talent.

One could ask the question: Did you like the Jordan lead Bulls of the 90's? Sure. But, I never disliked Jordan and company. That's different. That actually lends to my point. It's all about the personality for me at least. I asked myself, who do you like that's young and considered a star? Not on Boston, that's tough. Al Jefferson, I guess. But, that doesn't really count, he's a former Celtic. Wow. I don't have an answer... All the players I'm a fan of are older now. Oh, I like Andrei Kirilenko but he's getting old. Maybe Emeka Okafor since he reminds me of Elton Brand. Yeah, I guess that's it. I either feel indifference toward the majority of players or I totally dislike them. Damn. I can't believe I can't name anyone else who's young. Mind's drawing a blank.

Just curious -- how do you feel about Brandon Roy? He's one of the few young stars I really like.

Regarding the LeBron situation:

I was bothered that he didn't talk to the media.
I was even more bothered that he didn't shake hands with his friend Dwight.
I was bothered most that Stern apparently didn't like both things, but the league still didn't fine him.

[campybatman]

Just curious -- how do you feel about Brandon Roy? He's one of the few young stars I really like.

Good question. Interestingly, I use to like Portland during the 90's with Chicago. I even owned a cap. And I like their Trailblazers logo. It's different, unique in a way. When I say that I feel indifference for most players in the league, young or old. What I'm saying in essence is, I don't dislike them (I'll say if I dislike a player), I'm simply not a fan. About Roy, I think he's an emerging star in the league. Again, I've nothing against him but I don't like him enough to call myself one of his fans. And it's tough when you don't see a lot of these players play. Especially, those on the west coast. I'm more old school, loyal if you will. I stick to the players I initially liked as I got serious about being a basketball fan. Thus, why I said the players I'm a fan of are old now. They're in their thirties or are close to it.

Also, the thing about Roy is he's a scorer. My favorite positions are point guard and center. I like to see the fundamentals: Shooting, passing, free throws, rebounding...etc. And I like those that defend well. I enjoy defense. Roy's a shooting guard. I'm not too high on this position. Just because it seem like everyone likes to score points. But, he's certainly one of the better ones. I like shooting guards that can flat out shoot from long range and for average. Slashing is cool, but not better than making a three-point shot.

I think the reason I'm not as open to liking a lot of the young stars (besides disliking their personalities) is because Boston was a mediocre team as I'd began to follow them. So, following teams that were good and featured players that I could like became an alternative to watching your team miss the playoffs or make it and do little. When you get older, your loyalty to your home team becomes a priority that you decide to ignore every other team in the process.

[campybatman]

Upon further review, LeBron James' decision not to shake hands with the Orlando Magic or speak to the media after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals is going to cost him. And more than just on the sports talk shows.

NBA Commissioner David Stern announced before Game 1 of the NBA finals on Thursday that he had decided to fine James $25,000 for his actions. This was after Stern initially said on Monday that James would not be fined. Stern informed James, who is recovering from surgery to remove a growth from his right jaw, in a phone call on Wednesday.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... ern_f.html

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Check out ESPN's front page:
"Lebron has benign growth removed from mouth"
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4226010


LMAO. i think it was his foot.

[Dave_From_NB]

If they`re going to do fines, they should at least do something the player cares about. Anything under about $5 million this guy isn`t going to care about. $25 grand to James is like us giving a dime to a panhandler.

[sirpong]

Lebron will care if he dies $25 grand short of a billion. If there is a god out there somewhere, I hope he makes this happen