Gregg Popovich sent his best players home, deciding they reached the end of the road before the trip was finished. For that, and for keeping it a secret, the San Antonio Spurs were fined $250,000 by the NBA on Friday. Commissioner David Stern said the Spurs "did a disservice to the league and our fans" when they didn't bring Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili or Danny Green to Miami for the final game of the six-game trip."The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case," Stern said in a 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." Source: ESPN
what's the big deal? the coach can sit who he wants to last time i checked could'nt he? I Guess stern wanted to show everybody he was still the boss and you play by his rules! I'll be glad when he retires!
yep, this is horrible ............. and people think Goodell has a God complex? at least goodell is not telling the coaches who they should/shouldn't play ...............
Disagree. You do this before the playoffs, not a month into the season. If I lived in Miami, and I had a ticket to that game, I'd be royally pissed!
The only people that would ever have a legit beef would be the San Antonio fan base if it were a home game, and any intelligent fan would know that this is one of those games better used to just rest the old timers.
Royally pissed that you were handed a win? Whatever. Coach can do whatever he wants. This is complete horsecrap.
I disagree with the fine, but at the same time, it really sucks for Spurs fans that live in Miami. Even if you sat the players, at least they would have a chance for autographs. NBA games for a family are not cheap.
If you lived in Miami you wouldn't be doing to sporting events. They don't do that there. And the coach can do whatever the heck he wants with his players. Stern is only pissed because this was a big game. If the spurs were playing the bobcats or something he probably wouldn't even know about it. This if freaking stupid and there is no defending it.
The Spurs and the Heat only play each other twice a year. The next time they play each other is in San Antonio on March 31, 2013. What if Spoelstra decides to sit Bosh, James, and Wade then?
Am I missing your point with this post? If they sit them I don't care. But stern better fine then just as much. Which is why this fine was so stupid. It's setting a bad precedent.
If the league cares so much maybe they should not send these teams out on some of the road trips they schedule year in and year out.
