In an interview with NBC's Greg Gumbel during halftime
of yesterday's Knicks-Heat Game Seven, NBA Commissioner
David Stern defended the league's decision to suspend and
fine six players for their roles during an altercation at
the end of Game Five last Wednesday night. Stern: "I don't
think that there were any other decisions to be made."
Gumbel pressed Stern on whether Knicks C Patrick Ewing
should have been suspended for leaving the bench area, even
though he was seen as a "peacemaker." Stern: "I think our
loyalty here is to all of our players. They all know what
the rules are, and it has been uniformly enforced, and it is
really directed to peacemakers, because nobody knows when
somebody is approaching a melee, whether that person is a
peacemaker or not. Given the size of our players, the
proximity to the fans, we decided three years ago that if
you came off the bench, you were suspended, period, no
questions asked. Can you imagine if we decided at this late
date that we were going to start selectively enforcing it?
... I think the big story would be if we changed the rules
in this circumstance. I think our fans around the nation,
including in New York, would probably be wondering what kind
of league this was" ("NBA on NBC," 5/18).
IN COURT: On Friday, Federal Judge Jed Rakoff "sided
with the NBA in the lawsuit" filed by the Knicks' suspended
players against the league, according to Dan Wasserman of
the Newark STAR-LEDGER. The decision "upholds the
commissioner's authority as the final arbiter of all on
court disciplinary matters and the league's authority to
issue automatic suspensions against players coming off the
bench during altercations" (STAR-LEDGER, 5/17).
REAX: After Game Seven, Ewing said, "I was robbed. ...
(The NBA) robbed me of a great opportunity" (N.Y. DAILY
NEWS, 5/19). In N.Y., Peter Vecsey wrote that sources said
the league office "agonized more over its decision to
suspend Ewing. ... than any other in memory." Vecsey: "But
the narrowly defined rules offered no flexibility or
leniency. ... they'll be some common-sense amendments
attached to those rules this summer" (N.Y. POST, 5/18).
NEWSDAY's Rob Parker: "If NBA Commissioner David Stern cared
anything about his game and the fans, he would not have
allowed the suspensions to happen" (NEWSDAY, 5/19). An
editorial in Minneapolis said Stern "has shown himself to be
what major-league sports commissioners ought to be but too
rarely are: tough, decisive, no-nonsense, in charge" (STAR
TRIBUNE, 5/17). In Chicago, a SUN-TIMES editorial commends
the league's move: "It took courage on the part of the NBA
to stand firm and risk the wrath of angry television viewers
and other fans" (SUN-TIMES, 5/18). NBC Sports President
Dick Ebersol supported the suspensions and added, "This
should put to rest all those stories about the NBA making a
decision based on TV ratings" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/18).
MORE STERN: David Stern was a guest on ESPN's "Up
Close" with Roy Firestone on Friday. On what happens when
Michael Jordan retires: "I'm outta here" (ESPN, 5/16).
NEW TICKET PLAN: The NBA "is likely to institute a
stricter plan for playoff tickets because of the Heat's
decision to raise them without notice" in mid-series against
the Knicks, according to Craig Barnes of the Ft. Lauderdale
SUN-SENTINEL. NBA VP Communications Brian McIntyre:
"Increasing prices in the middle of the round was something
unfamiliar to the league. ... A new policy is being studied
whereby the league would approve prices at an earlier time
and they would be established, in advance, for each round"
(Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 5/19).
