Absolute BS: Spurs fined 25k for resting players

[Nate505]

The problem with the Spurs is that their players aren't woke flat earth believing nutjobs who schedule their time off in advance.

[blitz41]

I hope Spurs rest guys again but have them wrapped in bandages sitting on the sideline. 3 big mummy looking dudes out for various “injuries”

What a **** joke

Hahahaha in 3 Paul pierce wheel chairs

[MrBigShot]

This is embarrassing and Silver has no handle on the league rn. How the hell are they gonna fine the spurs for resting players when most teams have been doing it all year and some players have been taking games off for a personal holiday.

The regular season feels closer and closer each day to what the pre-season used to be 10-15 years ago.

[CIN-C-STAR]

The ridiculous thing is that "rest" is a legitimate medical reason to miss a game.
We know that overworked, tired players are more prone to injury, and thanks to SportTracking data and advancements in sports science we are getting closer and closer to almost predicting injuries, or at least predicting when players are vulnerable due to tired, overworked muscles.
So the Spurs are fined for using the latest tech, science and information to protect their players, while Kyrie can take a couple games off for a bday party and other teams can openly tank and the league is completely fine with it.
This seems not only anti-team but anti-player health and safety, too. It's pro-TV though so I guess we see where the league's priorities really are.

[Bornstellar]

The dudes in this thread trying to make excuses for Kyrie taking games off for birthday parties and supposedly Ramadan are hilarious

[G R E Y]

The Nets players have actually been injured, rehabbing, in COVID protocol or for Kyries case a personal absence.

The Spurs rested 2 healthy guys without explanation, that’s why they got fined.

"a personal absence"? Just one??! bwahahahaha!

Or? OR?! So the rest of the league just got the notice for how to avoid fines. "Personal reasons". Got it

He had 3 personal absences. One for his sisters birthday, one for the birth of his child, one for the first day of Ramadan.

The media acted like he was on some spiritual journey or contemplating retirement when he was really just prioritizing his family over his job.

Players are allowed to miss games due to personal reasons. I don’t understand why people rush to defend the employer when clearly an internal agreement had been made and no harm was caused.

Well your last sentence isn't a point that is being argued here.

As to the agreed absences, seeing as how for Spurs players 'personal reasons' were later revealed to be births or deaths, I'd venture to say that Kyrie is being accommodated to an nth degree.

And it's not just "a" absence then. He's missed multiple games in the three cited 'personal reasons'. Let's see. Birth of a child? Completely understandable and acceptable league-wide.

Ramadan? It wasn't entirely clear that is why he was out. Muslim posters here expressed doubts about his being a Muslim now. But either way, religion is all but untouchable. I'll just say that he's not the only Muslim player in the league. I haven't seen others miss games for it. Or make it public.

His sister's birthday. Ok. Even the most ardent fan must see the absurdity of 'personal reasons' being a free pass while a team resting three dog-tired players and citing 'rest' being fined as a huge misapplication of the spirit of the rule.

The NBA's in a hot mess here. Sets up conditions where players need rest or risk injury, allow for huge loopholes to get around fines, fine teams that are responding to set up conditions in the best interest of their players. It's just absurd.

[wow09]

Still waiting on the OKC fine for shutting down Horford for 3 months.

[TheBrooklynKidd]

"a personal absence"? Just one??! bwahahahaha!

Or? OR?! So the rest of the league just got the notice for how to avoid fines. "Personal reasons". Got it

He had 3 personal absences. One for his sisters birthday, one for the birth of his child, one for the first day of Ramadan.

The media acted like he was on some spiritual journey or contemplating retirement when he was really just prioritizing his family over his job.

Players are allowed to miss games due to personal reasons. I don’t understand why people rush to defend the employer when clearly an internal agreement had been made and no harm was caused.

Well your last sentence isn't a point that is being argued here.

As to the agreed absences, seeing as how for Spurs players 'personal reasons' were later revealed to be births or deaths, I'd venture to say that Kyrie is being accommodated to an nth degree.

And it's not just "a" absence then. He's missed multiple games in the three cited 'personal reasons'. Let's see. Birth of a child? Completely understandable and acceptable league-wide.

Ramadan? It wasn't entirely clear that is why he was out. Muslim posters here expressed doubts about his being a Muslim now. But either way, religion is all but untouchable. I'll just say that he's not the only Muslim player in the league. I haven't seen others miss games for it. Or make it public.

His sister's birthday. Ok. Even the most ardent fan must see the absurdity of 'personal reasons' being a free pass while a team resting three dog-tired players and citing 'rest' being fined as a huge misapplication of the spirit of the rule.

The NBA's in a hot mess here. Sets up conditions where players need rest or risk injury, allow for huge loopholes to get around fines, fine teams that are responding to set up conditions in the best interest of their players. It's just absurd.

From my understanding the only reason he had to take games off for personal reasons was due to an inability to adhere to Covid protocols and attend the events. If it were a normal season he would’ve only missed games for Ramadan and the birth of his child.

I generally support the idea that almost any family event is more important than meaningless regular season game #38. Let’s have some perspective, his job this year is to play a children’s game in an empty stadium.

I definitely agree that the NBA should’ve lightened up their resting requirements in a condensed season, at least for players of a certain age. I just don’t think the shots at the Nets or even Kyrie are warranted. They’ve dealt with actual injuries, excessive COVID protocols and yet they’re still 2nd in the East.

[G R E Y]

He had 3 personal absences. One for his sisters birthday, one for the birth of his child, one for the first day of Ramadan.

The media acted like he was on some spiritual journey or contemplating retirement when he was really just prioritizing his family over his job.

Players are allowed to miss games due to personal reasons. I don’t understand why people rush to defend the employer when clearly an internal agreement had been made and no harm was caused.

Well your last sentence isn't a point that is being argued here.

As to the agreed absences, seeing as how for Spurs players 'personal reasons' were later revealed to be births or deaths, I'd venture to say that Kyrie is being accommodated to an nth degree.

And it's not just "a" absence then. He's missed multiple games in the three cited 'personal reasons'. Let's see. Birth of a child? Completely understandable and acceptable league-wide.

Ramadan? It wasn't entirely clear that is why he was out. Muslim posters here expressed doubts about his being a Muslim now. But either way, religion is all but untouchable. I'll just say that he's not the only Muslim player in the league. I haven't seen others miss games for it. Or make it public.

His sister's birthday. Ok. Even the most ardent fan must see the absurdity of 'personal reasons' being a free pass while a team resting three dog-tired players and citing 'rest' being fined as a huge misapplication of the spirit of the rule.

The NBA's in a hot mess here. Sets up conditions where players need rest or risk injury, allow for huge loopholes to get around fines, fine teams that are responding to set up conditions in the best interest of their players. It's just absurd.

From my understanding the only reason he had to take games off for personal reasons was due to an inability to adhere to Covid protocols and attend the events. If it were a normal season he would’ve only missed games for Ramadan and the birth of his child.

I generally support the idea that almost any family event is more important than meaningless regular season game #38. Let’s have some perspective, his job this year is to play a children’s game in an empty stadium.

I definitely agree that the NBA should’ve lightened up their resting requirements in a condensed season, at least for players of a certain age. I just don’t think the shots at the Nets or even Kyrie are warranted. They’ve dealt with actual injuries, excessive COVID protocols and yet they’re still 2nd in the East.

I really don't want to make this about Kyrie either, even as I don't agree with the big stretch of allowance that encompasses 'personal reasons' for him without team penalty. Sorry, but every player has family with birthdays. It's just so weak, man. But even Ramadan - and again, it's not clear this is why he was out - there are other Muslim players who don't do it.

The point is the variance in the way the league treats the application of rules. Like from now on teams will use 'personal reasons' and cite Nets as precedence for getting away with it. Basically, don't be honest (not saying the Nets lied, but that teams are clearly wording absences as something other than what they actually are - rest, tanking, etc.) and get away with it is what's being signaled by the league. It created the problem by not adjusting the rules to current conditions and is instead penalizing honest and exhausted teams, exhausted from the Covid-affected schedules the league put together.

[BenoUdrihFTL]

I remember Hakeem Olajuwon playing through the entire month of Ramadan while actually adhering to the fasting. Lol @ Kyrie

[DwayneSchintzus]

What if there was a kid in Phoenix who missed his only chance to see Jakob Poeltl because of Pop's shenanigans???

Perish the thought.

[Bornstellar]

Still waiting on the OKC fine for shutting down Horford for 3 months.

THIS x100. Reason why this weak fine irritated me so much. I get it's chump change but how you gonna call out a team fighting for their playoff lives that actually needs the rest and not fine teams that are telling guys to stay home or letting them off for multiple games to eat birthday cake

[Yuri Vaultin]

Still waiting on the OKC fine for shutting down Horford for 3 months.

THIS x100. Reason why this weak fine irritated me so much. I get it's chump change but how you gonna call out a team fighting for their playoff lives that actually needs the rest and not fine teams that are telling guys to stay home or letting them off for multiple games to eat birthday cake

In fairness the birthday cake in question was an amazing chocolate cheese cake, so Kyrie is almost justified in ditching his team - plus how many princess themed birthday parties come around that basically enable him to show up not needing a costume?

[Jadoogar]

Both Raptors and Spurs should get their monkey back since they won their games

[G R E Y]

And that's that:

Read on Twitter

EDIT to add: To the end of the quote above, Pop added, "... and we're just going to differ on it." I think it adds an important nuance to the context.

Here's the interview:

Read on Twitter

[HDMAVS760CA]

I gotta agree with original poster. And I big time hate the spurs.