http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...7/bc.bkn.nets.kiddfined.ap/index.html?cnn=yes EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Jason Kidd was fined $20,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for a postgame rant in which he referred to officials Jim Clark, Tom Washington and Eric Lewis as "three blind mice." The New Jersey Nets' star was angry about the officiating during a 92-91 loss at Detroit on Tuesday night. NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson handed down the fine. Nets coach Lawrence Frank was not fined despite walking on the court and yelling at Washington for not calling a foul when Vince Carter was bumped by Rasheed Wallace before missing a potential game-winning 15-foot shot. "We come to work, and we work extremely hard at this, only for the officials to screw us," Kidd said. "We fought, but that doesn't mean anything when you have the officials take over the game like that. You go with the three blind mice, and it's just sad that Tom screwed up that game for us." The no-call came just seconds after Clark called a foul on Carter on a drive to the basket by Chauncey Billups with 7.2 seconds to go. It was somewhat of a touch foul, and not nearly as hard as the bump by Wallace on Carter seconds later. Kidd, who makes $18.08 million this season, did not plan to appeal the fine. But he didn't back off his comments, either. "That's how I felt," the All-Star point guard said Wednesday before the Nets played Houston. "That's how our team felt. It was the truth. There is no reason to talk about yesterday. We have to worry about today." Frank refused to say whether he was surprised the league didn't fine him, too. "I have paid my fair share of fines," Frank said. "It's not about the money, whether you are fined or not. This league isn't about money as much as people talk about money. It's about achievement. It hurts when something like that happens, and we lost the game."
good thing got away with what he said recently about the refs. Has thre been some plans about adding a fourth blind mice? I think that would be better for the league to make the games more fair.
won't you say adding more refs would mean more stupid calls? I don't think there is anything the refs can do that'll be right. they either make a phantom call or do not call at all. Either way, someone's gonna get fined for complaining.
One thing I've never understood is how is that legal to fine somebody over comments? Isn't that unconstitutional and even if it is pt in their contracts would it not be unconstitutional as well and therefore deemed illegal? I don't know.
Nba players can say what ever they want, david cant stop them but he can fine them. Its all about money. fines are just another way for the league to fill its pockets.
There's no free speech when it comes to private employment. The legality of the fines is between the players union and the league. They've never been challenged in court, so one can only assume that they are contractual and completely iron-clad. If you went on national TV and said "my employer sucks!", many bosses would discipline or fire you. Crying about the officials is criticizing your employer in public. It can be done strategically (see JVG and his 100K fine in the Dallas series and his subsequent fine about how Yao is called), or it can be done just to blow off steam. 20K for Jason Kidd is like being docked an hour of pay for the average NBA fan. For him, that's like 2 trips to Starbucks.
there's probably a code of conduct or another clause in their contracts that protects the nba from disrepute from its own employees.
Yeah its moronic on how players arent allowed to speak their minds especially when there is merit behind what they are saying. Anyways i thought the NBA donated all the money collected from fines to charity, no?
where was Yao's fine? if Kidd's comment was worth 20k , Yao's had to worth at least 5-10? Once again Yao gets no respect.
where do you even start with NBA refereeing, there are so many faults on so many levels it makes my head hurt....... if I could chose one change it would be to remove all preferential treatment to stars and veterans.... if it is a foul or violation it is a foul or violations no matter who the players are involved......rules are rules can someone please tell me where the rules are the refs are using that mean All-Star player X get one call and when the same thing happens to a rookie or a paul shirley type it is a no call......
Dictator: Yes Communistic: No I never understood why people are so quick in calling someone a communist when he is a dictator. Dictator and communist is not the same. However i also think it is stupid that you can fine someone for making a comment about the refs.
key words were "three blind mice". that's personal attack not complaint. they didn't fine the coach, even after he jumped onto the court and shouted and complained after the nocall. so as i understand it, you can complain but there is a fine line there. you cross it and you'll be punished.
