NBA Lockout Watch, Day 124: NBA Levies $500K Fine On Arison For Suggestive Tweets

The NBA fined Heat Owner Micky Arison $500,000 yesterday "for recent comments he made on Twitter that violated the league’s censure on speaking publicly about the lockout," according to league sources cited by Adrian Wojnarowski of YAHOO SPORTS. The tweets engaged with fans after talks broke down on Friday. The fine is "one of the largest for an individual in NBA history." NBA Commissioner David Stern "came down hard for what was a clear undermining of the league’s selling point that the owners are united on demanding sweeping and unprecedented financial givebacks" from the NBPA (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/31). ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst reported the fine is "five times the amount other owners have previously been fined for public comments about the ongoing labor situation." NBA sources said that Stern was "lobbied by some of Arison's fellow owners to levy the stiff fine." Arison and "several of his peers have been at growing odds as the lockout has deepened -- a rift which spilled over into cyberspace last week." Measures to "guarantee competitive balance among small-market and big-market teams have been some of the most fiercely debated issues in recent talks." Arison is "believed to be on the side of the big market teams, which are in the minority" (ESPN.com, 10/31). In Ft. Lauderdale, Ira Winderman writes the NBA "as expected ... lowered its lockout hammer" on Arison yesterday. Arison is "considered among the owners pushing hardest for a resumption of play" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/1). In West Palm Beach, Ethan Skolnick noted Stern has made Arison "pay for hinting that he wants to play." But the fine "may prove to be a good investment for Arison." One non-Heat player said, "We know Micky's not the problem. He's not the one fighting us for everything we've earned" (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 10/31).

AROUND THE RIM: In N.Y., Marc Berman notes Knicks Owner James Dolan "is content about one of the agreed-upon aspects of a new collective bargaining agreement: the size of the salary cap will not go down." More than "any team in the NBA, that will benefit Dolan’s big-market Knicks the most, ironically." Sources said that one of the "resolved issues in a new CBA is the 2011 cap will remain at the level as it was in 2010 -- $58 million." Sources' economic projections indicated that the salary cap "will then grow to about $60 to $61 million in 2012 -- when the Knicks will have the largest cap space in the league and have room to woo either Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, who are slated to become free agents." A players source said that Dolan "has been the least combative of the owners and often serves as the mediator during contentious moments" in the negotiations. The source said, "He's tried to keep the parties on point. He's trying to make a deal, seeing a positive spin. He's been, in a word, productive" (N.Y. POST, 11/1). Meanwhile, in Sacramento, Ailene Voisin notes Kings co-Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof "are adhering to David Stern's gag order regarding NBA labor relations and biting down hard on their tongues." Voisin wrote, "Normally, these guys can't help themselves. They are universally regarded as two of the most accessible and approachable owners in the league." But their "allegiance to Stern -- and his threat and/or levying of hefty fines -- has kept them quiet." Voisin: "Believe me, I've tried" (SACBEE.com, 11/1).

FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS? In L.A., Helene Elliott writes it is "easy to picture NHL owners -- some of whom also have stakes in NBA teams -- watching basketball players make concessions and salivating at the thought of asking for similar concessions next year." NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr said, "As a union you treat a strike, which is the counterpart of a lockout, as a last resort and you hope that management treats a lockout the same way." He added, "The objective fact is that in football and basketball this year and hockey the last time, in fact, management did not treat it as a last resort. Will it be different this time? We'll know soon enough. But I don't know yet." Fehr also indicated that the "impact of the NBA talks on the NHL's labor situation is likely to be minimal." Fehr: "Even though we use the same terms in all the sports, like compensation and free agency, they don't mean the same thing. And the economics of all four are different. I think there are self-contained negotiations." Fehr added, "With hockey-related revenue increasing from $2.1 billion at the beginning of this CBA to $3 billion today, the proposition that NHL players should give up more down the road is illogical. This is their system. I don't know how the league can come to the players in the future, say their system doesn't work and expect the players to give up more" (L.A. TIMES, 11/1).