David Stern Fines the Spurs $250,000

[spurraider21]

Why wouldn't we just have listed them all as DNP: sore or DNP: fatigue

[TD 21]

Why is nobody considering the possibility that they haven't actually been fined and that this is just to save face and send a message in the process? Stern is a lot of things, but dumb isn't one of them. He knows they have no grounds for this, so if this is legitimate, he's opening up a can of worms and basically encouraging the Spurs to sue the league and turn this even uglier.

As an aside, I fully expect Pop to do one of two things the next time he wants to rest the big three. 1) Make up phony injuries/illness, 2) Start them and either have them intentionally foul immediately to sit out the rest of the game or just play until the first organic stoppage, then sit the rest of the game.

[timvp]

Awesome. The final addition would be to have cash "evacuate" from Brewer/Pop as he bends over after the dunk.

[EVAY]

Even so...why should he go that route? He's essentially bowing to Stern when Stern is completely in the wrong if he does that...and hangs his coach out to dry in the process.

+1. Doesn't he kinda HAVE to support his coach at this point?

[Mel_13]

Stern basically said that it's ok late in the season or in places like Cleveland or Utah. Just don't stick a fork in my eye when I send your team to Miami in November. It's a hissy fit that probably wouldn't hold up in court, but I'm not sure the fine is ever actually collected. He just had to do something after the statement he released yesterday, but not substantial sanctions and no harm to the Spurs basketball operations.

[DesignatedT]

Why is nobody considering the possibility that they haven't actually been fined and that this is just to save face and send a message in the process? Stern is a lot of things, but dumb isn't one of them. He knows they have no grounds for this, so if this is legitimate, he's opening up a can of worms and basically encouraging the Spurs to sue the league and turn this even uglier.

As an aside, I fully expect Pop to do one of two things the next time he wants to rest the big three. 1) Make up phony injuries/illness, 2) Start them and either have them intentionally foul immediately to sit out the rest of the game or just play until the first organic stoppage, then sit the rest of the game.

If Pop is regulated into doing those things then Stern wins. If they want to put something in the rule book after this season then fine but Pop should be able to carry on this season just like he always has in the past.

[LakerHater]

benching your stars is 2.5 times worse than calling someone a phobic epithet on national TV

[benefactor]

If they pay the fine, Holt needs to at the very least make a statement that he stands by his coaches decisions and does not feel he was wrong in any way for doing what he did in Miami.

[baseline bum]

It's less than two months salary for a minimum salary player. Does no harm to the Spurs ability to operate the team this season or in future seasons.

$250K is a lot of money to an owner worth $80 million.

[Brazil]

It's less than two months salary for a minimum salary player. Does no harm to the Spurs ability to operate the team this season or in future seasons.

I understand but this is still a significant amount of money even if it's relative for a nba organization

[LakerHater]

Stern basically said that it's ok late in the season or in places like Cleveland or Utah. Just don't stick a fork in my eye when I send your team to Miami in November. It's a hissy fit that probably wouldn't hold up in court, but I'm not sure the fine is ever actually collected. He just had to do something after the statement he released yesterday, but not substantial sanctions and no harm to the Spurs basketball operations.

League doesnt like people messin with thier money!

[Spursfanfromafar]

Text analysis -

The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami.

In other words, it is okay to sit your "top" players in a late season game and(/or?) which is not an only regular season game against Miami (only?).

The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way.

So the guilt extends itself because the Spurs didn't inform the Heat (why the heck should they?), the media (but they did so before the game in a "timely way" that mattered to the media), or the league office (where in the rules is it specified to inform about in game coaching decisions?).

Under these cir stances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.

Under these cir stances, I have concluded that David Stern has developed early senility.

[Bruno]

Just a fine, even if it's a very big one, isn't that of a "Substantial Sanctions". I guess Stern was trapped between his words and the reality. He couldn't really go hard after Pop because he didn't really break rules but he couldn't let it go and lost the face after his aggressive public statement. I think Stern choose a $250K fine because he estimate this is the biggest sanction Spurs would accept without fighting back. We will see if it happens. I would love to see Spurs fighting the fine but I could guess the logic behind not doing so and smothered this whole story.

[NASpurs]

Since Holt and Stern are buddies, this could be a wink-wink fine that never sees the light of a wire transfer. In that case, this'll be brushed under the carpet.

That's what I was thinking when I heard about the fine. This is just for Stern to save face and not have his authority diminished. With all the behind-the-scenes that goes in the NBA, this is probably one of those as well.

[Mel_13]

$250K is a lot of money to an owner worth $80 million.

Doesn't harm their basketball operations. It's a lot of money, but doesn't represent substantial sanctions as I understand the terms.

[Darius Bieber]

"The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league..."

Oh no! Teams now need to tell the opposing team what players will be playing.

[Trainwreck2100]

why the do the spurs have to tell their opponent their personnel decisions?

[DPG21920]

Mel - would a one game suspension be substantial in your opinion? Also, if not, would you expect the Spurs to fight that?

[Spursfanfromafar]

Boy, I so wish, Ray Allen had missed the 3 pointer yesterday now...

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

How much is Stern fining himself for making the league office look like it's run by a cranky old man waving his cane at some punks to stay off his lawn? Because that seems detrimental to the league too.

[Brazil]

Mel - would a one game suspension be substantial in your opinion? Also, if not, would you expect the Spurs to fight that?

one game suspension for the players or for Pop ?

[HI-FI]

in a weird way, I'm happy Stern fined the team. It's just great he's lived up to this reputation as the most petty, spiteful commish in all of sports. If he turned the cheek on this I figured he has changed, but it's great to see he's the same piece of he's always been, just so everyone can see how he really is.

that being said, I hope they fight this, or at least protest it. Stern needs to be called out on his crap more often.

And this fine is further proof (if you needed any) that Stern goes overboard in protecting major markets and superstars.

[Mel_13]

Mel - would a one game suspension be substantial in your opinion? Also, if not, would you expect the Spurs to fight that?

One game suspension of the 4 players? substantial, the team and the union would fight it

One game suspension of Pop? wouldn't meet my definition, but I doubt Pop would serve it without a fight.

[LakerHater]

[timvp]

I think we'll know what the truth is by the Spurs' response. If they say something like "we consider this an internal matter that will be handled within blah blah blah" that will be code that Holt isn't actually paying anything. But if their press release hints at any animosity, that means they're gonna fight it.