By now, NBA fans have heard the news. For those that haven’t, NBA Commissioner David Stern dropped a $250,000 fine on the San Antonio Spurs organization for Coach Gregg Popovich’s decision to not play four key players – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green – in a big-time TV matchup against the Miami Heat. For doing so and not informing the league in advance, the Spurs were penalized. Per Stern’s statement:
“The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”
Stern’s logic appears to be that he’s acting on behalf of fans, who may feel duped. With ticket prices sky high, do fans deserve their money’s worth in star-power nightly? Or is the commissioner over-extending his reach by meddling with lineups? Even though Stern’s on his way out by way of retirement, what precedent will the league’s actions set moving forward?
Professional pundits have weighed in but we ask what’s your take Pop’s decision and Stern’s reaction?
