NBA Fines Cavs Owner Over LeBron James Tirade

The NBA has slapped Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert a $100,000 fine for a scathing statement he made on Thursday last week after LeBron James decided to leave the team for the Miami Heat. NBA commissioner David Stern said Gilbert’s statements were “ill-advised” and a bit extreme, especially when he accused James of throwing games away in the playoffs.

Gilbert said in a statement posted on the Cavaliers’ Web site that James’ televised announcement of his decision to leave Cleveland was a “narcissistic” and “cowardly behavior.” However, what caught Stern’s ire was Gilbert’s follow up interview with the Associated Press where he claimed that James quit on the Cavs during the playoffs in the last couple of years.

Meanwhile, Stern said he did not see any thing irregular with the Heat landing James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade. Stern said that the three All-Stars were “within their rights to talk to each other.” Stern added that there was no reason to launch an investigation on whether the Heat or the players themselves violated league rules.

Earlier, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said that there was a need “to re-evaluate the issue of player tampering.” The Cleveland Plain Dealer also ran an article that accuses James, Wade, and Bosh of collusion. According to anonymous sources cited by the article, the trio had planned the idea of playing together in one team when they became teammates on the US national team back in 2006.