Heat president Pat Riley has been fined $25K for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering rule, the league announced today in a press release. The fine is a result of Riley’s recent comments about former Heat star LeBron James.
As we relayed earlier this week, Riley made his comments during a casual appearance on a live stream hosted by Dan Le Batard (video link). A glass of wine in hand during his appearance, the Heat president actually misinterpreted a question about whether he was still leaving a “key under the door mat” for Dwyane Wade, who is now a part-owner of the Jazz. Riley thought the question was in reference to James.
“LeBron, look, he’s one of the greatest of all time, and for four years down here, if we want to go back and remember what those four years were like, it was four years in the Finals, four years of excitement, two world championships… It was the best time for the Heat,” Riley said. “So I wish him nothing but the best, and if he ever wanted to come back, I’ll put a new shiny key under the mat.”
Riley seemed immediately aware he’d said too much about the current Lakers star, stating that his comments on LeBron “will just get me fined.” Still, a $25K penalty essentially amounts to a slap on the wrist when it comes to tampering violations, so the NBA is implicitly acknowledging that Riley’s violation was minor.
By comparison, Daryl Morey and the Sixers were each hit with a $75K fine earlier this week as a result of a two-word Morey tweet responding to Warriors star Stephen Curry. Morey tweeted, “Join ’em,” in reply to Curry’s post about his brother, Sixers guard Seth Curry.
NBA can stop tampering by sending $2 million tampering bill to individual each time, not to the team
So morey/Sixers get 3x the fine for a two word tweet, way to be consistent
Morey wasn’t answering a question with a sarcastic response… he was openly recruiting. You don’t see the difference?
How is this tampering? It seems so silly
This is becoming ridiculous
If this is tampering, its not the type the league needs to be concerned with. Then again, it’s clear Riley violated the spirit (and probably the letter) of the tampering rules in orchestrating his big 3 a decade ago. So, no tears for him. Still, with all the real issues in this area getting worse, as players become de facto GMs, the league applying a hyper strict standard to actual FO people have harmless discussions of other teams’ players is going to get tiresome.
How about they stop messin’.
So Morey indirectly inviting Curry to join his team, gets a $75K fine. Riley directly saying that LeBron can come back to Miami, $25K fine. Nice way of illustrating double standards.
Riley answered a question in a sarcastic way… even started it out with saying its probably never going to happen… Morey (unprovoked) started recruiting a player on a much larger platform You don’t see the difference?
No one does see the difference, dude!
Not that it matter at all, tampering is ok, never understood the obsession with it, it happens is a part of the game, not a bad one if you ask me, right?
Team owners disagree. They are the ones in the room with union leaders negotiating the CBA rules. The rules are not laws but judges will always favor the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Tampering is not decided by weighing good or bad though Silver might.
Morey tampered by addressing a soliciting tweet to Curry (honestly, its lightweight tampering as the statement was likely made tongue in cheek, but it’s still tampering).
Unlike in 2010, Riley didn’t tamper. I’m no fan of Riley, but he said nothing to LBJ. There has to something more than an interview answer about a player’s time there.
Is LBJ included with everyone? Because that’s who Riley composed his message for. He was not just answering a question. Anyway, there is a CBA.
Naive.
Riley & Morey can go find another job if they do not want to follow the CBA. They will spend all day thinking of circumventions regardless. They pride themselves on being the flaunters.
Of course the fined things were done on purpose. They could always not do what they knew was tampering.
As for worrying about the fines being unequal… they are both small, given their salaries. 25 cents, 75 cents.
Riley is getting ghastly and Gollum-y. His precious rolled away and now his team is a mess that confuses him. Aww. Pathetic