Pop fined 15K for Answering Question About Oden

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs notebook: Popovich comment incurs NBA's wrath

Web Posted: 03/29/2007 12:31 AM CDT

Mike Monroe
Express-News

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032907.06D.BKNspurs.notebook.3cb8538.html

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Hornets coach Byron Scott shared a dubious distinction when their teams faced each other Wednesday:
According to an NBA source, the league fined their teams $15,000 earlier in the day for published comments the coaches made about players who have not declared their eligibility for the draft.

Popovich's comments — references to Ohio State center Greg Oden — appeared in the March 18 Boston Herald. Scott's comments about Oden and Texas freshman Kevin Durant appeared in the March 19 edition of the Oklahoman.

Popovich responded to a question from a Boston Herald reporter about whether it would be fair for the Celtics to land the No. 1 pick in this summer's draft with Oden potentially available because Boston had lost out on the chance to take Tim Duncan in 1997.

"That would be the fair thing, wouldn't it?" Popovich said. "That would be the fairest thing. If they could get him, that would be great. It would mean there is some fairness in an unfair world."

Popovich, who never said Oden's name but was clearly talking about him, then made what seemed to be an off-the-cuff comment about Ohio State's near loss to Xavier that same day. Two other reporters present at the time didn't report the remark.

"If they'd lost, I thought, is this going to make that kid want to stay in one more year?" Popovich said. "I don't know, maybe he's just collegiately oriented, and it's a big disappointment, and he wants to come back and get it done.

"What would that do? I mean, everybody would just die. The bottom five teams would just croak. Then they came back and won."

Spurs officials would not comment about the fine, which was not announced publicly by the league.

"It's going to be interesting to see," Scott told the Oklahoman. "But without a doubt, they're going to be No. 1 and No. 2. You've got two young men right now that are probably head and shoulders above everybody else as far as being the two best players in college basketball."

Scott said the fine taught him a lesson.

"I think I'll just say, 'no comment' about my fine," Scott said before Wednesday's game.

An e-mail from the NBA to all 30 teams Wednesday stressed the league "prohibits team personnel from having direct or indirect communications or contact with any players who have remaining intercollegiate eligibility or who are otherwise ineligible to be selected in the upcoming draft."

Horry out: Robert Horry missed his second consecutive game with an abdominal contusion.

Popovich said Horry was still feeling sore after the team's morning shootaround. Horry suffered the injury while taking a charge from Seattle forward Chris Wilcox on Sunday.

Playoff tickets: Tickets for the Spurs' first two home playoff games will go on sale at 10 a.m. April 7.

Fans can buy up to four tickets per person per game. In addition to the AT&T Center box office, tickets can be purchased online at spurs.com, by telephone at (210) 225-8326 and at all Ticketmaster locations.

[timvp]

Oh man. If the media thought Pop was evasive to begin with, I can only imagine how The New Pop will answer questions.

[Flight3107]

Lame

[Trainwreck2100]

Sounds like Pops gonna have to buy the boxed wine for awhile.

[phyzik]

$15,000.00 for Pop vaguely answering a question about a probable future NBA player with said player no where in sight.

Meanwhile.....

$15,000.00 fine for Michael Jordan, owner of an NBA team, runs his own personal camp that has full access to such players so he can talk to them one on one and evaluate their skills, personality and habits first hand.


I'll let those 2 statements speak for themselves.

[Trainwreck2100]

$15,000.00 for Pop vaguely answering a question about a probable future NBA player with said player no where in sight.

Meanwhile.....

$15,000.00 fine for Michael Jordan, owner of an NBA team, runs his own personal camp that has full access to such players so he can talk to them one on one and evaluate their skills, personality and habits first hand.


I'll let those 2 statements speak for themselves.

Jordan=Jesus and should not be fined, in fact the NBA should have given him 15000, just for wasting his time with such nonsense.

[whottt]

Lame


QFT

[SAtown]

I think there's more important shit going on in the world of sports that the powers that be should be worrying about. (Firing rounds outside of strip clubs, players beating women, players pounding strippers' faces into the stage for grabbing their $, etc...)

[DOMINATOR]

i dont get why it matters SO much. they enter a DRAFT for crying out loud. they arent free agents.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

i dont get why it matters SO much. they enter a DRAFT for crying out loud. they arent free agents.

Yeah, but if Oden were to read Pop's comments he might find out that NBA teams would consider drafting him and leave college early. Up until Pop's slip up no one had been the wiser.

[jaespur21]

Exactly, they asked pop on the radio about durant like A week ago and he said all players should stay n college for 4 years. and im more than sure that happened b4 the boston loss bcuz that was on a weekend and the radio show was on a thursday

[phyzik]

Jordan=Jesus and should not be fined, in fact the NBA should have given him 15000, just for wasting his time with such nonsense.

And that right there highlights whats wrong with the NBA. Thanks for proving my point.

I can almost feel the pain of Kobe jock-riders when he got suspended for elbowing and Gasol didnt...... almost.

[picnroll]

This is great news. Spurs collegiate scoutng is already paying dividends. Pop has heard of Oden.

[milkyway21]

Pops shld just follow the Spurs part-time owner The Admiral's way of showing his interest on Oden. He watched his game at the Alamodome but didn't say anything about him :D

only it's the other way around, Oden said how he appreciated and look up to Robinson and his role in the S.A. community.

[TDMVPDPOY]

LAMEST FINE EVER

it is obvious whoever lands the no.1 pick will draft oden or durant, this is a no brainer

if you dont draft either one of these 2 with the top pick than your either fuckd in the head.

stern fuck you, pop didnt mentioned shit, so use that fuckn 15k wisely jackass

[spurster]

Yeah, but if Oden were to read Pop's comments he might find out that NBA teams would consider drafting him and leave college early. Up until Pop's slip up no one had been the wiser.
:lol

[Tony Reali]

Yeah, but if Oden were to read Pop's comments he might find out that NBA teams would consider drafting him and leave college early. Up until Pop's slip up no one had been the wiser.


I'm guesing that he had an idea about his fate before his college career began....

[kskonn]

^^^^^^^
I am pretty sure that Spurs_Fan_in_Exile was being a tad sarcastic with his statement.

[kskonn]

This is great news. Spurs collegiate scoutng is already paying dividends. Pop has heard of Oden.


He probably happened to see him in San Antonio playing and thought to himself, huh this kid is not bad, wonder why he is not playing in europe.

[mardigan]

This is getting ridicuolus, he didnt even mention his name or that he wanted to draft him or anything. F David Stern

[cornbread]

This is a witch hunt!

[mardigan]

This is a witch hunt!
Check you pm's pussypants

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

He probably happened to see him in San Antonio playing and thought to himself, huh this kid is not bad, wonder why he is not playing in europe.
:lol I think they convinced him to take a look by telling him Oden played for a team in Spain. "I know how it looks, Pop, but it's actually pronounced 'O-hee-o Stah-tay'. Trust me."

[angel_luv]

Must be a slow week in the league if Pop's comment is what they are fining over.

Oops, did I say too much? :rolleyes

[Tek_XX]

WTF does Stern have hundreds of minions looking at every paper in America looking for this shit. We get it Stern, you're a strict ass lame bitch.

[T-Pain]

id appeal that shit. 15,000 is crazy, even if i was making millions of dollars

[Kori Ellis]

Must be a slow week in the league if Pop's comment is what they are fining over.

Oops, did I say too much? :rolleyes

Well I think it's stupid too. But Pop knows the rule. You aren't allowed to talk about players that haven't declared for the draft.

[ALVAREZ6]

that's beyond unreasonable and childish....




which gay ass clown issued this fine?

[angel_luv]

Well I think it's stupid too. But Pop knows the rule. You aren't allowed to talk about players that haven't declared for the draft.


In that light, then I guess he deserves the fine.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Does the media types who ask these questions ever get in trouble or lose credentials over asking questions like that?

[angel_luv]

Does the media types who ask these questions ever get in trouble or lose credentials over asking questions like that?


You would think they would lose credibility with whomever they are interviewing.
Media, in my opinion, should have enough knowledge of their subject to know if certain topic matter is off limits.

[BIG IRISH]

.....

Meanwhile.....

$15,000.00 fine for Michael Jordan, owner of an NBA team, runs his own personal camp that has full access to such players so he can talk to them one on one and evaluate their skills, personality and habits first hand.


I'll let those 2 statements speak for themselves.


We are all equal, just some are more equal than others.

MJ= Double secret probation = retirement..... :madrun

Don't worry with the laser treatments Pop is still looking good.

[td4mvp21]

Does anyone know why the League is so strict about this??

[Guru of Nothing]

What would Johnny Tightlips do?

[ploto]

Well I think it's stupid too. But Pop knows the rule. You aren't allowed to talk about players that haven't declared for the draft.
I am amazed he said what he said. Really. He's usually pretty anal about these things.

"If they'd lost, I thought, is this going to make that kid want to stay in one more year?" Popovich said. "I don't know, maybe he's just collegiately oriented, and it's a big disappointment, and he wants to come back and get it done.

"What would that do? I mean, everybody would just die. The bottom five teams would just croak.

[ShoogarBear]

The rule is there for a reason, and it's a good rule. The NBA doesn't want to have even the slightest appearance of attempting to influence players to come out early for the draft.

Yeah, you might say that Oden already knows he's going to be a top two pick, but the rule isn't put there for the Odens, it's put there for the borderline-lottery or borderline-first round picks. You don't want teams sending specific players signals that if they come out, they will be taken.

[SequSpur]

gay rule............. it's america... freedom of speech... wgaf..

[conversekid]

In that light, then I guess he deserves the fine.

On the pop show, he said the "official" interview was over.. he was walking down the hall having an off the cuff type chit chat with the reporters and the topic came up... only one reporter "ran" with it... :rolleyes

[CubanMustGo]

Next time that reporter asks Pop a question he should say "I'll be happy to answer that as soon as you write me a check for 15 large."