Jeff Van Gundy Fined $100K for Comments

[BAMAPHIN 22]

The NBA fined Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy $100,000 the largest amount ever for a coach on Monday, a day after accusing officials of targeting center Yao Ming this postseason and saying Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is to blame.

Speaking to three reporters at the team hotel in Dallas on Sunday night, Van Gundy said a referee not working the playoffs called him and warned that officials "were looking at Yao harder because of Mark's complaints" to the league office. He said that Cuban "has been hard on them," and "he's gotten the benefit."

"I didn't think that really worked in the NBA, but in this case it has," Van Gundy said, declining to identify the official he spoke to.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=722236

 

[NJFINSFAN1]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=sportsNews&storyID=8365451&src=rss/sportsNews


Wow, so much for freedom of speech!

 

[R_t_Kraken]

Get in that azz JVG! It's about time someone IN the league started complaining about the piss poor officiating. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has been noticing this.

Maybe if the refs would stop chatting it up with the players, and do their friggin jobs this wouldn't be a problem. I swear I see the officials and players conversating and joking with one another during FTs, after fouls, almost whenever game play stops, as if they were best buds. Who knows? Maybe they are. :shakeno:

 

[Muck]

Boy, JVG REALLY pissed off David Stern.

Off Topic: Anyone see the irony of a short, fat, white guy being the most powerful man in basketball??

 

[Prime]

I am glad to see that a coach is going to step off and down play these horrible refs.

 

[DonShula84]

Seems like they really overreacted. Fine him for bashing the refs like they always do alright, but the amount makes me think there might be some truth what JVG said and he hit a nerve by talking about it.

 

[BAMAPHIN 22]

Furniture store owner Jim McIngvale says he would like to pay the fine the NBA gave Van Gundy after the coach's accusation that officials are targeting Yao this postseason."I would be willing to pay the $100,000 fine that the NBA levied against Mr. Van Gundy because I just admire him for standing up for his employees," McIngvale told Houston television station KRIV on Tuesday.

McIngvale said he knows some will laugh at his offer and see it as nothing but a publicity stunt.

"I've got the $100,000 and I'm ready to pay it. I like coach Van Gundy because he does the right thing whether it's popular or not. I'm ready to pay it because he stood up for employees. I think it's great."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/basketball/nba/specials/playoffs/2005/05/03/bc.bkn.vangundy.fine.ap/index.html

 

[AggieFin21]

Seems like they really overreacted. Fine him for bashing the refs like they always do alright, but the amount makes me think there might be some truth what JVG said and he hit a nerve by talking about it.

EXACTLY!!! This is what I have been thinking as well. Coachs and players trash the officiating all the time and are punished but not near as bad as what Van Gundy got. I think there may be a lot of truth in what Van Gundy said and that's why the commish acting so harshly. (i.e. trying to shut him up.)

My homer-ism as a Rockets fan aside, the officiating in the Houston/Dallas series has heavly favored the Mavs, any basketball fan can see that. The Rockets have been out played in one or two of the losses but not even you Mavs fans can tell that the officiating has been fair and balanced. If you do, I guess Mark Cuban has spoken to you as well...

 

[painnotpleasure]

I was shocked when I heard Van Gundy got fined 100K, just watch Dallas is going to end up winning in 6 or 7 and everyone's going to say it's because of the whole "incident" that occurred. I'm still rooting for Houston though.