For starters, here is some basic info about me. My Real name is Bayron (like Byron but with an extra A), not yung.hulk as my screen name would suggest, I’m an 18 year old senior at Glendale high school, I’ve lived in Phoenix for 13 years and I’ve been a Suns fan since I was 10.

I’ve never much enjoyed writing, in fact I’ve always hated writing, not that I’m not a capable writer, it’s just not something I enjoy. Yet I was stirred to write an article by the egregious fines dealt to the San Antonio Spurs by Commissioner Stern. It’s not like I feel the slightest bit of sympathy towards the Spurs, rather I feel disillusionment with the league, and anger at David Stern. I am disillusioned because this is a great reminder that the NBA isn’t about the game of basketball, or the players, or even about the fans. It is about the money, and I’m angry at Stern because he has overstepped his bounds.

Fining a coach for making a decision completely with in the bounds of his power simply because it could jeopardize the money making potential of the NBA is an act I could never support, definitely not as a fan, nor in any other position. That is not to say that I don’t understand David Stern’s reasoning, I can easily see where this might reflect badly on the league, and lose revenue, both at the ticket office and in ad revenue through a ratings drop, yet at the same time I feel that ridiculous fines reflect far more poorly on the league. To prioritize the financial side of the league before the player’s side is an act I find deplorable, and all it serves to do is to turn me away from the NBA.

These fines also exacerbate what only used to be a mild dissatisfaction with David Stern, into a rapidly growing resentment towards him. In this particular instance the fact that not only was he compelled to hand out fines, but that he even has the power to hand out fines in a situation like this is a brazen display of power that I don’t think he should hold. I liken this somewhat to the NCAA handing out sanctions to Penn State, now I do believe that there needed to be repercussions at that school, however I do not believe that the NCAA should have been the one to hand them out, they trespassed into a realm of offences which in no way was theirs to preside over. I feel the same way here, except these two situations are far different, but I feel that David Stern overstepped his domain. Would he have fined the Spurs if the rested players had travelled with the team, would he have fined the Spurs if they were playing the Bobcats instead of the Heat? I am certain that he would not have, and his circumstantial treatment of what is a simple situation is what angers me.

Anyways, this is how I feel, maybe I’m a bit late on this, if you bothered to read my post please comment with feedback, and thank you for reading my first post.