Adam Silver made it known this afternoon that the NBA is no longer a no-nonsense league.
In a press conference that would fail every college speech class etiquette wise, Silver handed down the harshest penalty in NBA history.
Clippers Owner Donald Sterling has been fined $2.5 million (max allowed under bargaining agreement), banned for life from all NBA (Clippers) activities, and pending a 3/4 owners vote, will be forced to sell his franchise.
Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981 for a little over $12 million, and is set to make a huge profit after the owners will likely vote Sterling out. The value of the Clippers today is around $1 billion.
With all the nonsense that has gone on in the NBA over the last 20 years, this is an absolute shock.
Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest in the game, calls a referee a gay slur, $100k fine. ‘Allegedly’ raped a woman in a hotel room, and is still in the league.
Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, wrote a letter venting about Lebron James leaving Cleveland, $100k fine.
Mark Cuban has said every curse word under the sun to every referee in the league, and probably some racial comments too. His fines are around $2 million.
Gilbert Arenas, brought guns to his locker in Washington, he also didn’t have a permit nor were they registered to Arenas. Suspended for the second half of the 2010 NBA season. Arenas also admitted that he ran about 60 red lights in 4 months and got away with it by keeping his dealer plates on his vehicle. He continued to play in the NBA.
Roy Hibbert, says no-homo calls the media motherf*ckers, only worth a $75k fine.
These are just a few examples of the multiple fines and suspensions that have taken place, that are much more serious than what Donald Sterling said in a recorded phone call, that he had no idea was being recorded.
Adam Silver just shocked the world.
So rape, making fun of sexual orientation, bringing guns to locker rooms, and all that other nonsense is okay… a privately recorded conversation is what brings the harshest penalty in NBA history.
Adam Silver is a joke of a commissioner, way to make your mark hardo.