This is one of those “We wish this wasn’t a story, but it’s probably going to be because the inmates are running the NBA asylum” kind of deals.
So you’re aware that the NBA’s got pretty strict rules about league personnel meeting with, cavorting with, hanging out with, or really being in the same place as NBA players. They told Mark Cuban he couldn’t be at Rucker. They have fined several coaches, owners, etc. So Billy King, the Nets’ GM, has been walking a fine line this weekend in order to avoid such a fine.
From Nets Daily:Tweeting as if he were leaving bread crumbs across the face of Europe, Billy King arrived in Izmir Saturday afternoon for Deron Williams first away game in the Turkish League.
On Friday, he tweeted that he was on board a Turkish Airlines flight, then Saturday morning, he posted a picture of the Bosporus, that waterway separating Europe and Asia in Istanbul, before finally announcing that Izmir “is a beautiful city”.
Alas, just before the game between Besiktas and Pinar Karsiyaka SK was set to begin, the Nets GM had to tweet bad news: “2 mins to tip off someone breaks the backboard”. Kings image showed a good home crowd at the Izmir sports arena.
via King in Turkey to Watch Williams Who Goes for 24 and 10 in Best Game Yet - NetsDaily.
So King went all the way to Istanbul to watch a player he can’t tweet about, talk to, or have contact with. Props to King, though, for doing something which involves looking to a future when the NBA’s back. This probably puts his mind at ease about Williams’ wrist which had surgery this past summer, especially since Williams dropped 24 -10-4.
Oh, a good basketball line. I’d forgotten how cool those look. (/cries)
Anyway, King won’t be levied a fine, but he’d better lock it up. You know, lock it up.
