Just sent this to the league via their "email us" thingie on nba.com
To whom it may concern:
I'm sad to say I am no longer a fan of the NBA. Its a shame, as I have been an avid fan of the game for well over 20 years. But the actions of your Commissioner Stern have continually pushed me to the breaking point. His hypocricacy
and tyrant at ude has finally pushed me away from the game I love.
I'll spare you the long history of gripes I have with the comissioner and get straight to the straw that broke the camel's back: His Napoleonic fine against the San Antonio Spurs.
There was absolutely NO rule broken. The league office has no right to dictate how a coach does his job. NONE.
Ironically, jusst 7 months ago, Adam Silver, the Deputy Comissioner of the league, had this to say on the topic of teams resting their star player.
"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."
The hypocricacy is sickening.
The league has largely ignored the Spurs for years, rarely showcasing the team on national television broadcasts. But NOW, after the Spurs are coming off a brutal travel month, and the Heat are coming off of 4 days rest, Stern wants to
see the Spurs at full strength?
Stern is the one who should be apologizing to the Spurs. They have been the model franchise of the decade. They never have players in trouble with the law. In a league full of thugs they are a team of role models.
Stern's at ude about all of this disgusts me.
So I am done. The league will not make another cent off of me as long as David Stern is the comissioner. I will not be buying game tickets, jerseys, trading cards, caps, t-shirts, cups, sticker, magazines, nothing. I will not be
buying products that are sponsors of the league, and I will be sending them similar letters to this.
I'm sure that this letter will be ignored, but please please see that a copy finds it's way to Commissioner Stern. He needs to see first hand what long time fans think of what he's doing. And how he is alienating them, and completely
disfiguring what used to be the most beautiful so sports.
Thank you for your time.
Lee Watkins