NBA fines Hawks co-owner for tampering on LeBron James

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The NBA has fined Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon $25,000 for comments he made to the AJC about LeBron James, a pending free agent.

Joel Litvin, president of league and basketball operations, made the announcement Thursday.

Gearon's comments violate the NBA's anti-tampering rules. If James doesn't reach a deal with Cleveland by July 1, he would become the best player to reach the free-agent market in years.

Gearon's comments:  "If somebody came to us tomorrow and said you can have LeBron for max money and it puts you in the luxury tax, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But am I going to do that for [Zydrunas] Ilgauskas? Am I going to do it for Jermaine O’Neal? I don’t think so ..."

They appeared in the AJC's Atlanta Hawks blog May 19 and in an article published May 24.

This is the third time in a week that the NBA has fined a team owner for tampering. The league fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $100,000 for comments he made during an interview with CNNMoney.com.

Cuban said "anybody" would be interested in James. He added that it would be tough to sign the two-time defending league MVP in free agency, but a sign-and-trade deal with Cleveland is something he would look at.

Steve Kerr, president of basketball operations for the Phoenix Suns, was hit with a $10,000 fine for comments he made on a radio show May 14.