Mark Cuban Fined $100,000 For LeBron James Comments

NEW YORK — Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for comments made about free-agent-to-be LeBron James that violated the league's anti-tampering rules.

The outspoken billionaire, in an interview this week with CNNMoney.com, said "anybody" would be interested in James. Cuban said it would be tough to sign the two-time defending league MVP in free agency, but a sign-and-trade deal with Cleveland is something he would look at.

Phoenix Suns President of Basketball Operations Steve Kerr has been fined $10,000, also for public comments made in violation of the anti-tampering rules. Kerr's comments were made on a radio show on May 14.

Cuban didn't immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

Comments

[2centsplain]

02:32 PM on 05/26/2010

Two thoughts here. Stern has lost all respectability in my view. He continues to allow the crimes conducted by the players and refs but goes after the owner. Second, I have to believe that someone as smart as Cuban is saw this as a cheap way to let Labron's people know that he is really interested. Best owner in the game. Tries to win.

[AngusC]

10:26 PM on 05/25/2010

What was that, Cuban's gas money for his jet for the day? lol

[Larkinvos]

06:52 PM on 05/25/2010

Cuban could find 100K under his couch pillows.

[CaptainSunshine]

12:18 PM on 05/25/2010

There's no state income tax in Dallas nor is there a statue of a legend in front of the stadium. Flights to OH are cheap. There are little to no paparazzi. You won't have to send an aide to get your car washed.

The owner and the city are supportive of their teams.

[farmilyman]

11:03 AM on 05/25/2010

NBA brass must love Cuban as an owner. He''s a real money maker for them with all the fines levied.

[Winthorpe]

07:40 PM on 05/24/2010

There's no danger of Stern changing the name of the league to the FSA -- Free Speech Association.

[skippy20008]

05:06 PM on 05/24/2010

Let's see...the NBA has no problem with, essentially, a Kwame Brown for Pau Gausol trade and a Sebastian Telfair for Kevin Garnett trade... but gosh, if Mark Cuban says that LeBron would make an attractive addition to any team... that harms the intergrity of the game!

[LogicalMathMan]

02:08 PM on 05/24/2010

So, an owner makes this public knowledge and he gets to the front of the line in the LBJ sweepstakes. His message to LBJ is plain, 'Hey, I want you to know that I can drop $100K just to get you to Dallas'. Time will tell if it was money well-spent. Prokorov, learn from an American billionaire. Unless, JayZ, LBJ and Prokorov have already made a back-room deal.

[DevonTexas]

01:06 PM on 05/24/2010

weekend pocket change to Cuban.

[heather65]

11:53 AM on 05/24/2010

hmmm....i see the daily troll memo is to slam president obama for his comments.

[BikeFreak]

10:25 AM on 05/24/2010

Good.

That man has too big of a mouth. If it cannot be taped shut, then fine it shut!

[Nate Carter]

11:11 AM on 05/24/2010

that won't happen. David Stern is - at his very core - a press whore. He has presided over the most open and meticulously covered era of pro basketball ever and cultivated that attention.

Cuban attracts attention with any public comments he makes, moreso than any owner. And giving a billionaire a 100K fine is like giving a whale a tic tac. Cuban knew he's get fined, and it's all in hopes of LeBron seeing he was willing to get fined for speaking his mind so that maybe if he wasn't considering Dallas, he will.

If LeBron even gives Cuban a fair listen, that 100k was money well spent.

Also, Kerr does the same thing and gets fined 10 times less because
1) he isn't a billionaire and
2) people care about what Steve Kerr says at least 10 times less.

And I'm saying this as a resident of the town where Kerr hit Championship-winning shots...

[BikeFreak]

11:17 AM on 05/24/2010

I cannot stand David Stern.

[LogicalMathMan]

02:04 PM on 05/24/2010

I don't think you read both comments. Kerr's fine was not deserved.

[b1rd67]

12:28 PM on 05/24/2010

$100K isn't going to keep Cuban from opening his mouth anymore than a $5 ticket would keep you or I from speeding.

[vet-of4renwarz]

08:52 AM on 05/24/2010

I think huffpost should add a button on here next to Flag as Abusive call Flag as OT... that way we can eliminate all the political tro11s and spammers...

[supertim]

01:49 AM on 05/24/2010

thats crazy, the owner of the los angeles clippers donald sterling is a slum lord who has made very insensitve remarks, according to a former gm about owning black players, and has been sued under the Fair Housing Act for discriminating against blacks, hispanics and asians, yet he never gets fined by Stern, they must pray together at the same temple

[goodmarina]

01:27 AM on 05/24/2010

Nowadays, any publicity is better than no publicity at all. Mark Cuban is a shrewd business man - he not only gets his message out there (i suppose about his interest) but also gets publicity that would cost him a heck of a lot more than $100K.

BTW ... LeBron - come on down to Texas.

[DevonTexas]

01:07 PM on 05/24/2010

wouldn't that be nice tho!

[Reyeshawk]

12:47 AM on 05/24/2010

This is pocket change for Cuban. He knew before he said anything that he was going to get fined. It was probably worth the 100K just to get the idea out there and talked about. He's already got Dirk opting out so his deal can be reworked.