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NBA Fines Three Teams for Talks with Oden and Durant

Contact with college basketball players before draft day is against league regulations, and the NBA has done something to enforce this. Three NBA teams ? the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats and Golden State Warriors - were fined for contacting Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, the two freshmen who are expected to be the 1-2 draft choices in this year?s draft.

The NBA general counsel Rick Buchanan released a memo to all franchises? General Managers, listing the fines. The Celtics were fined the highest total, $30,000, for executive director Danny Ainge contacting Kevin Durant`s family in March during a Big 12 tournament game. The Bobcats and Warriors were fined $15,000 each for minority owner Michael Jordan?s comments in an interview to a Charlotte news site in March, and Coach Don Nelson?s comments regarding the two freshmen phenoms in an interview to an online sports news site.

The NBA prohibits any sort of contact or communication, direct or indirect, between teams and college players or their family members, representatives or friends who have any remaining eligibility as the two have. Ainge?s excuse that he was seated next to Durnat?s mother at the game and had no control over his seating did not impress the league officials who fines the Celtics a sum double of what Jordan and Nelson were fined for comments made to news agencies. The three teams are expected to compete for the players on draft day, especially if they are left out of the playoffs as it seems all three will eventually.