After the LA Clippers were fined $50,000 for Doc Rivers comments on Kawhi Leonard, the NBA need to re-assess their tampering rules.
LA Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers compared Kawhi Leonard to Michael Jordan while on ESPN previewing The Finals and several days later, the team was slapped with a $50,000 fine for violating NBA tampering rules. That’s not the issue here. The lack of clarity and enforcement of the rules is.
By the NBA’s rules regarding tampering, Doc was in violation. The rules state:
"The NBA can fine any player or team that “directly or indirectly, entices, induces, persuades or attempts to entice, induce, or persuade” anyone under contract with another team for their services."
Now, I personally take issue with a few things here. First off, are we really to believe that Doc Rivers essentially saying that Kawhi is a great player that he was enticing, inducing or persuading him to join the Clippers? If that’s all it takes, then NBA franchises are about to save a whole lot of money on recruiting. Rachel Nichols agrees:
Doc Rivers gets fined $50,000 for tampering because he compared Kawhi Leonard to Michael Jordan and I still don’t understand why we have tampering rules in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/uycJt1BEkE
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 31, 2019
Like Rachel says, does the NBA not want their great minds on television talking about basketball? It’s not like Doc Rivers went on air and openly said “Kawhi, please come to Los Angeles!” He simply assessed his play in these NBA playoffs and made a comparison to another player. (For what it’s worth, Doc also made comments about Kevin Durant, who is a free agent, but was not fined.)
According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver though, that’s exactly what they want.
"“Coaches or team executives in those positions need to say I’m not permitted by the league to respond to that question. It’s a balance of interests, I understand that, but he unfortunately crossed a bright line.”"
Wow! That sounds like fun TV!
Secondly, if the rules state that any player can be fined for tampering, why has that not really been enforced?
Yes, LeBron James was hit with a warning for his comments on Anthony Davis this season, but how many other times has tampering been committed by players? The Big 3 in Miami didn’t just up and decide one day to join forces. Draymond Green has admitted to calling Kevin Durant and recruiting him. Recruitment by players happens daily.
It seems like the NBA only is issuing fines at certain times in order to create this facade that they actually care about tampering. They know it’s rampant, so if they dole out fines like this one or the ones to Magic Johnson for his Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo comments, they create a public image that they are cracking down on tampering.
Speaking of Magic, how are Doc’s comments here different than those Magic made earlier in the year regarding Ben Simmons?
Magic also showered praised upon Ben Simmons, saying "I love his game. I love his vision. I love also, too, in terms of basketball I.Q., he has very high basketball I.Q. Look at him now, the east better watch out." pic.twitter.com/WO5LHfSorK
— Ben Mallis (@BenMallis) February 10, 2019
“I love his game. I love his vision. I love also, too, in terms of basketball I.Q., he has a very high basketball I.Q. Look at him now, the East better watch out”. The NBA investigated this and in the end, deemed that no tampering had occurred.
You explain the difference between this and Doc Rivers’ comments because I truly don’t see one. If your argument is that Rivers and the Clippers have been openly associated with Leonard, I would remind you that Rich Paul represents both LeBron and Simmons. There are connections to be made.
It’s little things like this that make the NBA’s rules seem random. The league needs to step back this summer and take a look at not only tampering and how to limit it, but their own rules and enforcement.