Phil Jackson and Lakers Organization each fined $50,000

[RapsPlayoffs]

NEW YORK, March 15, 2007 – Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers organization have each been fined $50,000 for Jackson’s public criticisms of the NBA, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Jackson and the Lakers have been fined for comments Jackson made earlier this week regarding the NBA's recent review of several on-court incidents involving Kobe Bryant.

http://www.nba.com/news/lakers_070315.html

[nylia]

hahaha. stu jackson is being a cry baby. lol lol lol

stu jackson: "imma fine all these stupid people who doesn't like me. what's wrong with them, im so likeable."

[Jackal]

I said it before, but now I mean it more than ever.

This is getting pathetic.

[Jing]

Phil Jackson, Lakers, Fined... those 3 fit pretty well togather.

[Andrew]

hahaha. stu jackson is being a cry baby. lol lol lol

stu jackson: "imma fine all these stupid people who doesn't like me. what's wrong with them, im so likeable."

Players get fined all the time for criticising officials. Mark Cuban is constantly getting fined for speaking his mind. How, in all fairness, is it a travesty when the Lakers are penalised the same as anyone else who criticises officiating or decisions the league has made?

[Ty-Land]

hahaha. stu jackson is being a cry baby. lol lol lol

stu jackson: "imma fine all these stupid people who doesn't like me. what's wrong with them, im so likeable."

Players get fined all the time for criticising officials. Mark Cuban is constantly getting fined for speaking his mind. How, in all fairness, is it a travesty when the Lakers are penalised the same as anyone else who criticises officiating or decisions the league has made?

I agree to an extent, but it is becoming a bit obsessive. Can't coaches and players criticise the league or officials? Can't they question things? I agree to fining when it is unnecessary criticism or attacks on refs, but I think the players and coaches need a means to vent their frustrations to the league. Maybe they need an anonymous feedback slip to be filled in and returned at the end of each game?

[Jackal]

I'm not saying it's a travesty that it happened to LA. I'm just saying perhaps they need to back the fuck off for a change. With Cuban already it was absurd and I felt they didn't need to do it, but hey, that's not the team I support so I never voiced my opinion about it.

But lately, the suspensions on Bryant now this...it's just getting a bit much.

[Kbryant8]

I'm not saying it's a travesty that it happened to LA. I'm just saying perhaps they need to back the fuck off for a change. With Cuban already it was absurd and I felt they didn't need to do it, but hey, that's not the team I support so I never voiced my opinion about it.

But lately, the suspensions on Bryant now this...it's just getting a bit much.

i must agree with this one.
Stern and hes little fellows there are going too far with that.

[Andrew]

I agree that it becomes a bit too much at times. The league should stand by its referees but sometimes it does seem like they're unwilling to admit that referees do make bad calls or acknowledge such incidents when they occur. The fines often seem to have an air of "Shut up and accept our decision" about them. I guess the NBA's real grievance is that these criticisms are being made through the media rather than handled through what they consider the appropriate channels.

I just don't agree with the sentiment that the big, bad NBA is picking on Kobe and Lakers (which I know isn't what you were saying, but others have suggested it) because they've made the same rulings for other teams and players. Of course, that doesn't necessarily make it a good standard for the league to have but it's not one that's specific to the Lakers. I do agree they throw huge fines around too readily, I just don't think they're out to get Kobe or the Lakers as some people have suggested.

[BigKaboom2]

These people work for the NBA. If they criticize the NBA, that means they're not the most intelligent employees. This would be like an NBA Live developer giving an interview in which he admits that NBA Live 07 is an embarrassment to video gaming. There's no way something like that would go unpunished.

I see nothing wrong with the NBA penalizing its employees for badmouthing their higher-ups.

[RapsPlayoffs]

These people work for the NBA. If they criticize the NBA, that means they're not the most intelligent employees. This would be like an NBA Live developer giving an interview in which he admits that NBA Live 07 is an embarrassment to video gaming. There's no way something like that would go unpunished.

I see nothing wrong with the NBA penalizing its employees for badmouthing their higher-ups.

ah, i see what your saying... looking at it from your point of view does make alot of sense... but basketball is a very emotional game and sometimes it becomes more than just an employer and employee

[cyanide]

I think they're just being consistent with fining anyone who criticizes the league/players/refs and of course, they hope the fine would discourage further criticism.

[Oznogrd]

I will never understand this shit. NFL, MLB, and NBA alike...they all fine teams and players for criticizing the higher ups. Isnt that some sort of stamp on freedom of speech? Yeah i know they have to keep a coup from occurring on occassion (Cuban) but is it not ok to voice your mind? Is it not ok to express displeasure with your boss/administrators? I think its perfectly legit. The problem is if they allow any, they have to allow all and then it will become absurd. *shrugs* i just dont think it should be done so drastically, it should be case by case basis, reviewed, put up for investigation etc.

[BigKaboom2]

I forgot one part of my above case - there's a difference between taking care of your differences with your higher-ups by addressing them privately and by blabbing about them to random members of the media.

[maes]

Props to PJ.

Not too many coaches will take a $50,000 hit to escalate publically what they feel is unfair bias against one of their players.

And PJ is shrewd, he knew he would get hit w/ a fine. The guy doesn't do anything without thinking about it.

[dada]

In all honesty I wont downright say they are only out to get them but the consistency on their part (league) has not been there. Take for example the absurdity of the first Kobe suspension where within the next couple days there were similar incidents occuring which the league didnt address. I felt if Kobe's was a suspension they should maintain their standard and suspend the other players (which many others thought as well) yet they didnt, as if sticking it back in their face. Its just ridiculous to me, plain and simple.

[air gordon]

this has been a long time coming... Jackson has always been critical on matters on such as these. yeh kudos for him for sticking up for his players, but you have to pay the price

using the media to express your anger/frustration/etc with management is not the way to go. that goes with in almost any workplace

face it- the marketing machine known as the NBA is willing to do anything to protect it's "image". it's encouraging to see they are not being bias and going after the "big" names


dada- what are these incidents/players you mention of?

[Andrew]

I forgot one part of my above case - there's a difference between taking care of your differences with your higher-ups by addressing them privately and by blabbing about them to random members of the media.

using the media to express your anger/frustration/etc with management is not the way to go. that goes with in almost any workplace

That's what it comes down to really.

As far as the league being out to get Kobe, Marv Albert and Steve Kerr touched on the subject early on in the Nuggets/Lakers game yesterday and raised an important question: what sense does that make? Why would the league be out to get one of its most popular players who is also one of their best sources of revenue? His presence draws sellout crowds and his jersey is the top seller amongst all NBA players. Admittedly his number change has been a factor with the latter since it's meant a brand new jersey for collectors but the fact people still rush out to buy it is a testament to his popularity and a fine example of the dollars that popularity brings in. The league also benefits from its teams in the big markets and the storied franchises doing well; the Lakers are both. It would seem odd for the NBA to hold a vendetta against a team whose success is good for the league and consistently generates a lot of revenue, as Phil Jackson has suggested.

[maes]

I don't think Kobe's jersey really matter much to Stern when it comes to showing who really controls the NBA.

A similar situation happened during Van Gundy-gate. Van Gundy said the league was showing bias against Yao, and he said so publically. Now Yao Ming is the single most important player to the NBA $ wise, because of the sheer # of people in China. There will always be great US players, an elite Chinese player is (so far) incredibly rare.

Yao's financial importance didn't stop Stern from storming in and start throwing out threats of "lifetime bans from the league" when he heard about it.

[Sauru]

phil earned this fine just like everyone else has who speaks ill about the league. nothing more to say really, bigkaboom got it nailed perfectly

[Andrew]

I don't think Kobe's jersey really matter much to Stern when it comes to showing who really controls the NBA.

A similar situation happened during Van Gundy-gate. Van Gundy said the league was showing bias against Yao, and he said so publically. Now Yao Ming is the single most important player to the NBA $ wise, because of the sheer # of people in China. There will always be great US players, an elite Chinese player is (so far) incredibly rare.

Yao's financial importance didn't stop Stern from storming in and start throwing out threats of "lifetime bans from the league" when he heard about it.

No argument there. My point was that it wouldn't make much sense for the league to have a vendetta against one of its biggest draws and most significant players; they have no reason to target and pick on Kobe Bryant or the Lakers. As you said, financial important doesn't exclude a player from fines or other penalties if the league feels such measures are warranted.

[dada]

dada- what are these incidents/players you mention of?

-Ginobli kick to Amare's nut sack.
-Lebron clothesline on Wade.
-Cook on Jeffries after being blocked.

These were all within the next 1-2 nights if I remember correctly. I just feel if they followed the same standard they applied in the Kobe situation those suspensions would also have to be considered.