Gregg Popovich decided to send his three stars (and Danny Green) home before the Spurs’ Thursday game against the Heat. That decision cost the team $250,000, the league announced late Friday.
On the Stern-Popovich cold war
ElsaA brief excerpt, though I encourage you to go read the whole thing:
I don’t for one second doubt Woj’s reports or that there is lingering distaste between Stern and Popovich. But I’m going to trust that this is all a bit more simple: Stern wanted to set an example that this type of mass benching for a national TV game is Not Okay. No other coach but Pop does this. And Stern wants to make sure that not only does Pop no longer do it, but that no other coach gets the idea to do it. It looks like a deterrent, and in his statement Stern mentioned that this has been discussed at league meetings in the past (Pop has done stuff like this in the past, though not for national TV games). Maybe Stern put a little extra mustard on it because of the lack of love between he and Pop. But I have trouble believing the sanctions stem totally from a long simmering cold war between the two.
Read Article >#DisserviceToFans
Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIREStern called this a “disservice” to the league and its fans.
Surely that’s not the only disservice to fans of the game, right?
Read Article >NBA fines Spurs $250,000
Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIREFriday evening, Stern revealed what substantial meant in this instance: a whopping $250,000 fine for the Spurs organization.
The league release:
Read Article >Heat hold off ragtag Spurs late
Mike Ehrmann‘My bad’
Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIREUnfortunately, Barkley didn’t get a question off about Stern’s proclamations. But this sequence might have been even better.
“My bad.” Even Barkley turns to stone when Popovich gives him that glare.
Read Article >
