Not Jordan - the NBA rules. I recognize that this is not really a rule for someone like Durant or Greg Oden - who clearly don't need anyone new telling them they are NBA-caliber - but for other prospects who might not have made up their minds. (Certainly, in those cases, hearing that Michael Jordan thinks you are a good prospect would have an impact.) But Durant either has already made up his mind or he hasn't -- if he comes out, he's no worse than the #2 pick in the draft. I don't follow basketball and I know this. So...where's the harm in what Jordan and Ainge are saying?
Words prove costly for Bobcats
Jordan champions Texas freshman star during interview
Michael Jordan doesn't speak often to the media, but apparently he spoke a bit too openly last week.
Jordan, part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, praised the versatility of Texas freshman Kevin Durant in a Tuesday interview with The Charlotte Observer. That was sufficient for the NBA to levy a $15,000 fine on the Bobcats, according to league spokesman Tim Frank.
League officials are generally barred from discussing college underclassmen, on the logic that might influence their decisions whether to turn pro early. Jordan oversees the Bobcats' basketball operation.
Durant, a 6-foot-10 small forward, is generally considered one of the top prospects in college basketball, along with Ohio State center Greg Oden.
In the Observer interview, Jordan was saying how much he values versatility. He said: "The kid who may present that is the kid in Texas; may have that because he has all the right signs."
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clipped from www.charlotteobserver.com
