Lockout affects how basketball players, owners interact on golf course
By Kurt Helin, NBC Sports
As he has done for years, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan will be at Lake Tahoe this weekend golfing in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship.
So will Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams and Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro. They’ll all be hanging out together.
Most years this shouldn’t strike you as odd. But this summer — when the Trail Blazers GM nearly got a $1 million fine for an innocuous one word answer — it should.
David Stern and the NBA has forbidden anyone tied to teams — owners and coaches included — from having any contact with players. The league has threatened a $1 million fine to anyone who has contact.
But this tournament and these people all seem to have gotten clearance from the league. Reportedly Jordan and Del Negro can’t talk to the players, however. So, if Deron Williams says hello to Jordan, MJ can only nod back? Nice set of rules.
(Just for full disclosure, you can watch the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Friday on Versus, then Saturday and Sunday on NBC. Expect PBT to have some stories from the tournament.)