NBA fines Spurs for trying to win championship

[WVDolphan]

David Stern is a joke. The NBA is a joke.

They play something like 82 games and yet half of the teams in the league make the playoffs. If they dont want the Spurs to rest their aging stars, either shorten the regular season or make teams win games to qualify for the playoffs. Hell, it isnt uncommon for a team to barely break .500 to qualify in the East. Its a joke.

The NBA was just butt hurt because that Spurs/Heat game was a national TV game. The Spurs did this all last year and it paid off for them down the stretch. Yet, Stern never fined them last season. Their guys need rest to be fresh for the playoffs. The playoffs are also way too long. Its a slow motion funeral march.

This was the perfect game to give their key players a rest for several reasons......

1) There was a good chance they dont beat the Heat anyway
2) Its a non conference game
3) Everyone knows that baring injuries, the Heat will win the East. So if the Spurs win the West, they would be facing the Heat for the title. This gives the Heat one less game to have already played against the Spurs. They will only play once more in the regular season.
4) What better game for the bench players on the Spurs to get some critical experience?

Whats so ridiculous about this fine is that anyone who was going to watch that game in the first place STILL watched it. The Spurs resting old vets kept nobody from watching that game. Who in the hell watches the NBA anyway? Especially the meaningless regular season. No rap stars are rapping about Tim Duncan. The hip hop fans will watch LeBron no matter who he is playing.

Aside from all of that, it turned out to be a competative game anyway. So STFU David Stern. All you do is point out how meaningless your regular season is. Wake me up when it gets down to the conference semis. Then I will watch only to hate on the Heat.

I dont want to see Stern suspend a key player from any team from this point forward. Otherwise, he should fine himself. How dare he keep the fans from seeing the best players on the court.

[JCane]

Yeah, I don't understand why he's so upset. LeBron James played.

That's all that really matters.

[PhinzN703]

Blame the schedule makers for ****ing the Spurs. 7 games in 11 nights with 6 of them being on the road trip and 4 games in 5 nights vs. the Heat while Miami had been off since Saturday and had only played 3 games in 12 nights.

Pop and the Spurs don't give a **** about the ratings. They're in it to win.

[Ilovemyfins4eva]

yup, agreed 100 percent wv, couldnt say it better myself.

half the teams make the playoffs as it is, and with 82 games, this is why nba teams can afford to rest there starters and not have it effect them come playoff time. there are just way too many games played, making the regular season and exhibition.

to fine the spurs 250,000 is just a ****ing joke. greg popovich, or any coach in the nba for that matter should be allowed to bench there players when ever the **** they want. they are being paid to coach their specific team, and whatever they feel is best for their team is what they should do.

heck if popovich wanted to rest his guys for an entire month, he should be free to. it is his team. if u do not like it david stern, then shorten the ****ing season.

last season was actually imo a lot more exciting than most because it was a 66 game season due to the lockout. 82 games is way too much.

[Ferretsquig]

I would have fined him half a mil and taken it directly from his salary. See if he pulls that kind of stunt again when it effects his pocket book.

The NBA more than any other sports league is star driven.......people come to see the players, not the teams. If Popovich wants to pretend that he is somehow above all this and hes there purely to coach and not entertain then that's fine. Calculate the revenue he costs the league each time this is done and take it from him, not every other player and owner in the collective.

The scheduling argument is complete nonsense and I can't believe anyone is stupid enough to buy that. If he wanted to rest his stars on a long road trip then he had ample opportunity to do it against a lesser opponent during a game that wasn't nationally televised. Nobody would have cared.

[PhinzN703]

I would have fined him half a mil and taken it directly from his salary. See if he pulls that kind of stunt again when it effects his pocket book.

The NBA more than any other sports league is star driven.......people come to see the players, not the teams. If Popovich wants to pretend that he is somehow above all this and hes there purely to coach and not entertain then that's fine. Calculate the revenue he costs the league each time this is done and take it from him, not every other player and owner in the collective.

The scheduling argument is complete nonsense and I can't believe anyone is stupid enough to buy that. If he wanted to rest his stars on a long road trip then he had ample opportunity to do it against a lesser opponent during a game that wasn't nationally televised. Nobody would have cared.

Help me understand how the schedule argument was nonsense. Also help me understand why you're more qualified to make the call over a future Hall of Fame coach.

[Ferretsquig]

Help me understand how the schedule argument was nonsense. Also help me understand why you're more qualified to make the call over a future Hall of Fame coach.

Give me a break.....he knew exactly what he was doing and the response it would elicit. The man can read a schedule as well as you or I......there are 60+ games on there and 4 on his latest road trip where noone would notice if only 5 guys showed up to play.

[Bumpus]

I would have fined him half a mil and taken it directly from his salary. See if he pulls that kind of stunt again when it effects his pocket book.

The NBA more than any other sports league is star driven.......people come to see the players, not the teams. If Popovich wants to pretend that he is somehow above all this and hes there purely to coach and not entertain then that's fine. Calculate the revenue he costs the league each time this is done and take it from him, not every other player and owner in the collective.

The scheduling argument is complete nonsense and I can't believe anyone is stupid enough to buy that. If he wanted to rest his stars on a long road trip then he had ample opportunity to do it against a lesser opponent during a game that wasn't nationally televised. Nobody would have cared.

You mad?

[Dizzy]

He's done it before. It's a smart tactical move. Older veterans need a rest from time to time.

[eriefinfan]

A coach decides when to rest his players. Stern has no right to say he's resting too many players too soon. What a joke!!