The NBA is an entertainment business, first and foremost. Believe it or not, Stern is representing the interests of the fans. The fans paid good money to watch the best effort from both teams possible, and this includes teams playing at full strength. These guys get paid millions per year, to play an 82 game schedule. This is not in anyway different than resting starters for tanking purposes. In both cases, you are hoping that not playing players benefits you in the future in some way. I don't think anybody would be mad at Stern for imposing sanctions on a team that rests 3 of their best players who are uninjured with the motive of trying to get a better draft pick.
Let's see Pop/Duncan/Ginobili/Parker/Spurs each cough up $50k and send a letter saying worth every ****ing penny.
Symbolic That is a fine against the owner. It's like a $5k fine on Lebron for flopping...like that will change anything. Big deal. $250k? Like that will have any effect over Pops doing this again...lol in before everyone feels sorry for the SA owner....and how this is an outrage and will affect how coaches coach.
There will be 15k fans wanting to see the Spurs beat the Grizz tomorrow, who are more likely to receive a better show, compared to the less than 1k fans wanting to see the Spurs beat Miami. The fans win.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>NBA states Spurs' actions violated league policy (reviewed with Board of Govs '10) against resting players contrary to NBA's best interests.</p>— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/274650957881696256" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:07:45+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>David Stern: "The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game..."</p>— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KBergCBS/status/274650556285452288" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:06:10+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Stern notes it was "the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami."</p>— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KBergCBS/status/274650727148814336" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:06:50+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Stern: "The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way."</p>— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KBergCBS/status/274650910339264512" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:07:34+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Stern: "Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”</p>— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KBergCBS/status/274651052501004288" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:08:08+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The fine is an outrage. Nobody in their right mind feels sympathy for Holt, Buford or Pop. They will just loathe Stern even more.
Fine is made. Got that over with. Now can we get back to discussing how much the Spurs are such big p*****s for avoiding Lebron. There is no other explanation. p*****s.
Stern is pathetic. He should not have scheduled the 4th game in 5th nights with the last game being against the Heat, who haven't played in 3-4 days. He's lost it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>So does every NBA team resting a player have to ask David Stern's permission from now on? Great precedent to set.</p>— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/274652500483772416" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:13:53+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He wanted the Heat to look good against the Spurs. Imagine how butt hurt he was that the Spurs almost won with scrubs?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>David Stern fined Spurs $250K for doing a "disservice to the league and fans." Then why arent the Wizards filing for bankruptcy right now?</p>— Not Bill Walton (@NotBillWalton) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotBillWalton/status/274653202153095168" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:16:40+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
why would they need to inform the heat and what is the protocol for how many hours/days prior? i mean it's not like miami's announcer at the arena didn't know which names to call out for the opposing team starting lineup..
Overstatement. Stern's primary job is managing the owners/franchises, and with that all the sponsors and tv contracts. This is a fine of the owners against an owner. So what. We are talking a $250k fine for a billionaire for resting his big three. Do y'all not think that TNT and the Sponsors yelled at Stern to do something? It's just symbolic people. Pops made a statement and the league made one back to "punish" his owner. It's not going to change much. $250k fine to an owner. pffft All that happened was Stern chose to make it public...because publicity is cheaper in resolving things like this.
Let's be real here. If I bought tickets to a Rockets vs. Heat game at the Toyota Center, I would NOT be satisfied if the Heat rested the Big 3 and I got to see James Harden vs. Ray Allen and Parsons vs. Rashard Lewis. I paid cause I want to see James Harden vs. Wade and Parsons vs LeBron. I wouldn't care if we blowed out the Heat in that game, because it's not why I want to watch the league. I don't watch the Rockets just because I want to see them win. I watch Rockets basketball because I find the game entertaining. Win or lose I still watch it. Fans want to see an entertaining basketball game. You are delusional if you think that only 1K fans in Miami were disappointed that the Spurs rested their players.
At the same time, you have to realize that Pop rests them periodically and has for the past few seasons. They were on their 4th game in 5 nights, and that's a logical time to rest your key players seeing as you have a game against a conference rival in a few days. Pop likes his players rested for the postseason. The more games they play in a short period of time, the more likely they get hurt. Gotta see it from both sides. It's something we should've done with Yao.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Incidentally, Stern has no plans to address the issue with reporters at this point.</p>— Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardBeckNYT/status/274653427638870016" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:17:34+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is insanity. This is the sport of basketball, not going to the circus. God, this makes me frustrated. If a coach wants to rest their veteran players after they played 4 games in 5 days then let them! Every time a team rests a player are they going to get fined? What a joke! I get the business part, and how the fans want to see the best players play but this is just insanity to me.
Your point is good and makes sense, but the blame falls on Stern and the NBA for the making of the schedule. If SA vs Miami is a marquee matchup, then why did the NBA schedule the Spurs 4th game in 5 nights to be against the Heat?
