Stern, NBA Criticized For Interfering With And Vetoing Paul Trade To Lakers

The Clippers and the Hornets were "working vigorously Sunday night to consummate a blockbuster deal that would send" G Chris Paul to L.A., according to Broderick Turner of the L.A. TIMES. The deal "hasn't been completed, but both sides were in the closing stages of the negotiations." Clippers Owner Donald Sterling and the NBA "have to sign off on the deal." The league will "probably review the Clippers deal" today. When NBA Commissioner David Stern vetoed the Hornets' trade of Paul to the Lakers last week, Paul "called the NBA players' union and threatened legal action against the league for stopping the deal" (L.A. TIMES, 12/12). In N.Y., Beck & Heisler noted the Lakers' attempts to acquire Paul from the Hornets "ended when the Lakers refused to meet the demands set by the NBA, which owns the Hornets franchise." The league "wanted the Lakers to surrender draft picks and young players, likely including Andrew Bynum, the Lakers’ promising center" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/11). Beck noted while some owners "objected to the trade, league officials said that Stern made the call independently, with input from the NBA's basketball operations staff." Stern's decision to veto the trade "was widely denounced by fans and commentators, as well as by agents, players and team executives -- even those who had nothing to do with the deal." Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban noted that one of the "goals of the lockout was to give small-market teams a better chance to keep their stars." Cuban: "So to all of a sudden have a league-owned team trade their best player, particularly after having gone out and sold a ton of tickets in that market, that's not the kind of signal you want to send" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/10).

BIG BULLY: In Boston, Gary Washburn noted Stern heard "mostly criticism over the next 24 hours and felt inclined to release a statement, which is significant because he generally does not acknowledge outside opinions with formal responses." The precedent Stern has set "is unclear, but he is walking down a dangerous path" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/11). In New Orleans, John Reid notes since Stern "nixed Thursday’s trade, it appears the Hornets are in a holding pattern because teams and agents have become leery to consider deals because of possible interference by the league." The Hornets have "yet to sign a free agent and have only five returning players under contract" (New Orleans TIMES PICAYUNE, 12/12). Also in New Orleans, John DeShazier writes an apology is "owed to the 10,000 Hornets fans that NBA Commissioner David Stern and the league’s 29 owners not-so-gently urged to buy season tickets to make the Hornets viable in New Orleans" because Stern and the Hornets’ 29 current co-owners have "torpedoed the Hornets’ season and immediate future." If owners "believe they can achieve competitive balance by blocking deals that send small-market All-Stars to big-market teams, they're sadly mistaken." Players will "go where they want to go" (New Orleans TIMES PICAYUNE, 12/12). Nets G Deron Williams said of Stern, "You’re fighting a bully, man. David Stern’s a bully. You can’t really go up against him, man.'' Williams added, "He knows he’s a bully. Ain’t no secret. I think everybody knows that.'' He continued, "He’s got to be, man. I think every owner of every big business is a bully. It’s how they become successful." (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 12/12).

NOT A GOOD WEEKEND: CBSSPORTS.com's Ben Golliver writes Stern is a "monumental loser" in NBA free agency's opening weekend. Golliver: "Vetoing the trade directly alienated his league’s most important team, completely undermined the team he operates, and handcuffed the poor Houston Rockets." Then the "delayed explanation for the veto led to a virtual standstill in other moves, as everyone around the league waited for the largest domino to fall" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/12). In Miami, Dan Le Batard wrote Stern's decision to veto the trade was "among the most colossal embarrassments of his reign as commissioner." Le Batard wrote Stern's job is to "take the public-relations hit for their selfishness as they sabotaged the Paul deal and turned it into an unprecedented mess (MIAMI HERALD, 12/11). ESPN's Jemele Hill said Stern "did more damage to the NBA’s reputation and their image by killing this deal than the lockout could ever have done” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 12/11). In DC, Jason Reid wrote in one "misguided, cowardly move, Stern succeeded in hurting the Hornets and angering players still smarting over major concessions they made to help end the five-month lockout." At least Stern "appeased all those hard-line, small-market owners." Reid: "Now that's leadership" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/9). In Cleveland, Bud Shaw wrote Stern is "too proud to admit he heeded the cry of [Cavaliers Owner Dan] Gilbert and other outraged owners." Shaw: "The timing made the NBA look ridiculous." But Stern "killing the trade made it look outrageous" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 12/11). In L.A., Bill Plaschke wrote that Stern "caved in to the little guys' whiny wishes at the expense of the league's integrity is a dereliction of duty unmatched even by some of the worst commissioners in pro sports history, and will affix to his legacy a black mark that will follow him into retirement" (L.A. TIMES, 12/10).

DOES THIS IMPACT STERN'S LEGACY? In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote Stern is still "routinely called the best commissioner in pro sports, but only by reflex now, after two lockouts in the past 12 years." He is "not the best commissioner, has not been for a long time." We went into this latest work stoppage "hearing that 20 teams in Stern's league were losing money." Lupica asked, "So how well was the alleged best commissioner in sports doing, really?" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/11). Lupica added it is time for Stern “to start moving towards the door and to start thinking about what his exit strategy is." Lupica; " He’s had two work stoppages in the last 12 years and he’s still routinely called the best commissioner in sports. Really? If he had 20 teams losing money going into this lockout, how good was he doing?” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 12/11). ESPN's Chris Broussard said, “I think David Stern has been the best commissioner in American professional sports, but this last year for him has been a PR nightmare” ("Outside The Lines," ESPN, 12/12).

CONSPIRACY THEORIES RETURN: In N.Y., Harvey Araton wrote Stern's decision "did nothing but reinforce the old conspiratorial notions that the NBA is a rigged sport, in one direction or another." Small-markets owners "need to accept the fact that Los Angeles will always be a prime destination for beautiful people and players" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/10).
The Chicago Tribune's Bob Foltman said, “Everybody that criticizes this league for the ‘conspiracy theories’ for the past however many years, all of this is validated now. ... This is going to be a black eye for the league for the whole year” ("Chicago Tribune Live," Comcast SportsNet Chicago, 12/9). The N.Y. Daily News' Bob Raissman: “This is rigging the system. One man is manipulating the system" ("Daily News Live," SportsNet N.Y., 12/9). GRANTLAND.com's Jay Caspian Kang wrote by keeping Paul in New Orleans, Stern "placed the weight of the league's parity problem on the shoulders of one of its employees" (GRANTLAND.com, 12/9). In New Jersey, Tara Sullivan wrote Stern is "trying to force upon the players a set of rules he couldn't get in the ugly, protracted negotiations." He "managed to turn the league-wide opening day of training camp into a referendum on the league's diminishing viability." Stern "wounded his league to its core" (Bergen RECORD, 12/10). In Houston, Jonathan Feigen noted the commissioner is "not supposed to favor one team over another." Stern, however, took an action that he "clearly said he believed would benefit one team, unconcerned with the detriment to another" (CHRON.com, 12/11). The NATIONAL POST's Bruce Arthur notes the NBA's "biggest PR problem has always been the perception that it is rigged towards the big markets." This time, it was "rigged away from them." Either way, it is "a hell of a way to alienate people" (NATIONAL POST, 12/12). In Boston, Steve Bulpett wrote under the header, "David Stern Foolish To Deny Chris Paul Deal" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/10).

Paul called the NBPA and threatened legal action against NBA for stopping the deal

FORCED HAND: Miami Herald columnist Israel Gutierrez said the “most laughable part about this" is that Stern "tried to insist that owner influence had nothing to do with his decision, which is ridiculous” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN2, 12/11). Denver Post columnist Woody Paige said Stern “should either be fired or resign today because it wasn’t done for basketball reasons.” Paige: “It was the commissioner bowing to a few owners expressing their opinions. The Hornets were told they could make deals” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 12/9). Le Batard said, “No matter how much power David Stern seems to have, no matter how arrogant he is about exhibiting that power, no matter how much he’s paid, David Stern still works for the owners. ... He’s got to do what the owners want. More than that, he’s got to take the public criticism on their behalf. That’s part of his job. I’m sure David Stern didn’t want to do this” ("Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable," ESPN2, 12/9). The AP's Tim Dahlberg notes Stern "really didn't have much choice." Small-market owners "didn't go through a 149-day lockout only to find it was business as usual when business finally resumed." The "cheers Stern got from smaller-market teams in the wake of the veto were the payoff he was after." Jazz President Randy Rigby said, "I'm one who likes to see the market and teams that have invested in a player and helped develop a player have an opportunity to have that player be a long-time part of that community" (AP, 12/12). In N.Y., Peter Vecsey cited a source as saying that the group that is "about to purchase the Hornets from the league, branded the deal sadly lacking." Stern "rightly felt the Hornets were taking on too many overpaid players and not getting enough in return -- in terms of capable youth and draft picks" (N.Y. POST, 12/11).The AP's Brian Mahoney noted after the lockout, with free agency and training camps opening, "instead of the immediate boost the league craved, it found itself with another public relations disaster." T'Wolves F and player rep Anthony Tolliver said, "That's the first thing I thought. We just got done arguing for four or five months and everyone just wants to see basketball, and now this. Huge controversy, again with NBA owners. I just hope it doesn't damage everybody" (AP, 12/9).

NOT READY YET: SI.com's Zach Lowe noted the NBA season, "compressed to begin with, is supposed to tip off in 14 days, and the league is just nowhere near ready to go." The idea of "starting games -- actual NBA games that count in the standings and the championship race -- feels increasingly ludicrous" (SI.com, 12/11). Bulls F Kyle Korver said, "No one is going to do well with this, let's be honest." He added, "But 66 games in (124) days? We're humans, not robots. There will probably be sloppy games, for sure" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 12/11).