Cavs fined $150,000 for prep star James' workout

CNNSI ^ | May 28, 2002 | CNN

[E Rocc]

CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James has drawn his first NBA foul -- and it cost the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The league fined the Cavs $150,000 Tuesday and suspended coach John Lucas for the first two games of next season for including James, the nation's top high school basketball player, in a voluntary workout for players last week at Gund Arena.

[E Rocc]

Anyone who's ever seen Michael Jordan take 3-4 steps to the hoop or commit offensive fouls with impunity knows that the NBA is no stranger to double standards. Indeed, Jordan was running the Washington Wizards when he worked out with James and other draft-inelgible players.

-Eric

[FreeTally]

Some of the guys on ESPN seem to think that Cleveland is going to challenege this and take it to court if they have to. It was a voluntary workout. Its questionable whether or not the NBA has any authority here. I don't know myself, but it would be interesting if they do challenege this.

[E Rocc]

Some of the guys on ESPN seem to think that Cleveland is going to challenege this and take it to court if they have to. It was a voluntary workout. Its questionable whether or not the NBA has any authority here. I don't know myself, but it would be interesting if they do challenege this.

Even 76ers management was wondering WTF the NBA is thinking. I don't expect much to happen from any challenges though.

There's two things we're pretty sure of here on the North Coast:

1) Lebron is the real deal.

2) The NBA will rig the draft lottery (again) to send him to a high profile or major market team.

-Eric

[GoreIsLove]

If the Cavs were smart, they'd just draft him this year and bring that case to court. I'd hate to see that kid in a Knicks uniform.

[E Rocc]

If the Cavs were smart, they'd just draft him this year and bring that case to court. I'd hate to see that kid in a Knicks uniform.

We learned the hard way here in Cleveland that you can't really make a professional league enforce its own rules, let alone general equity, using the courts.

Besides, LeBron's mother has ruled out allowing him to pass on his senior year in high school in order to turn pro. IMO, that's a good thing.

In any case, if we did something like that the league would probably just re-do the draft and Houston would get him. That would satisfy David Stern's major market bias.

-Eric

[GoreIsLove]

That's the thing, though. Once you draft him, you're rights don't expire right away. Look at Arvydas Sabonis and David Robinson who were drafted years before they played. It just seems that if you have the 6 pick, why not take a chance. It might be a nice test case. If you lose the challenge, you just add cap space for what looks to be a good free agent class next season.