New Jersey Nets, Jay-Z Fined for Kentucky Meeting

The New Jersey Nets were fined for Jay-Z being in the Kentucky Wildcats locker room after they clinched a Final Four berth this year.  The expectation of a fine has been brewing in the background for some time now, especially because Jay-Z is a minority owner of an NBA franchise.

The fine is a pretty steep one at $50,000 for the Nets, but it is also one that sends a clear message about what is and what is not acceptable behavior for an NBA owner.  With a billionaire majority owner and Jay-Z not exactly struggling either, this will simply seem like a slap on the hand to not do it again.

 

 

The reason that this is against the rules is pretty clear in that NBA owners are not allowed to meet with college basketball players outside of officially sanctioned events.  It could lead to an unfair playing field and give an advantage to that franchise during the NBA Draft.  

In this particular case, Kentucky looks to have three or four major players selected in the 2011 NBA Draft, making it obvious that an advantage could be had here.  The reality is that there were probably no nefarious intentions by Jay-Z or the Nets, but that the NBA really had to set a precedent in order to avoid situations where something worse might happen.

What do you think about this fine?  Was the fine too expensive for the Nets?  Is the NBA making too big of a deal out of this situation?

Photo Source: Wikimedia

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