I was watching Sportscenter and down on the bottom line ticker, it showed that Phil was fined $25K for comments that he made about Chris Bosh. I tried finding a story about it on ESPN's website and here; I guess I could try to find something on a LA or Toronto newspaper site but I don't really feel like searching that bad for this. Anyone know what PJ said? Thanks.
http://www.nba.com/news/lakers_051215.html Los Angeles Lakers Fined NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2005 – The Los Angeles Lakers have been fined $25,000 for public comments made by head coach Phil Jackson on December 8, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President Basketball Operations. Jackson publicly expressed the Lakers’ interest in Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh, in violation of the NBA’s anti-tampering rule.
I believe this was the exact quote... seems harmless, but whatever. "Well ... the players that were franchise-changing players you know re-signed up or re-upped with their organizations. There are some that will be available in the year following that you obviously have to take a look at, and this kid here is one of them. Chris Bosh, obviously everybody's going to be interested in and we think he's become quite a talent."
OK, that makes sense - I thought he might have said something derogatory or sarcastic about him after the Lakers played the Raptors recently.
More on this... http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...09,1,12997.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba Jackson's recent comments lauding Toronto Raptor forward Chris Bosh irritated a Raptor official, who called them "unbelievable," according to the Toronto Star. "If someone asks our coach about a guy and he says, 'He's a great player,' that's fine," said the official, who was quoted anonymously. "But if he says, 'He's a great player and he'd look great in a Toronto uniform,' that's tampering." Jackson didn't go quite that far, and his observations on Bosh probably were not enough to warrant a case of tampering, a league official said. Jackson told reporters during a Wednesday morning shoot-around in Toronto, "There are some [players] that will be available in the year following that you obviously have to take a look at, and this kid here is one of them. "Chris Bosh, obviously everybody's going to be interested in and we think he's become quite a talent." Bosh, a third-year forward averaging 21.7 points and 10 rebounds, could become a restricted free agent after the 2006-07 season or unrestricted after 2007-08. Jackson clarified his comments after Thursday's practice. "I was just throwing that out there for them to have fun with it in Toronto," he said. "I hadn't seen him play. Think he's a franchise player? You think you want to give $10 million to $15 million to him over seven years?"
