Report: Nets pay for houses for stars’ girlfriends

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-nets-pay-houses-stars-173047523.html



Report: Nets pay for houses for stars’ girlfriends



Dan Feldman
Fri, July 16, 2021, 10:30 AM



The Nets have remade themselves as the NBA’s star team – and everything that entails.

From the moment Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant turned Brooklyn a pop-up super team, the Nets have embraced a culture of enabling their top players. Brooklyn signed DeAndre Jordan to a lucrative contract because he was a friend of Durant and Irving. The Nets allowed their stars to force out one coach and choose another. Brooklyn has tolerated Irving doing whatever he wants. In fact, the Nets leaned even further into star culture by trading for James Harden, who got his own special treatment with the Rockets.

But just how far has Brooklyn gone?

“Can’t Knock the Hustle” author Matt Sullivan on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” produced by Mike Ryan:

A very high-ranking official with the Nets who had a lot to do with the money said basically, there’s a blank check as soon as these guys got here – whether that’s buying a girlfriend or a girlfriend on the side a house in California for a week, whether that’s just putting up money for the boys and the homeboys and equipment for random s***, they’re totally cool with that.

Just renting a house on the team dime. These guys don’t pay for a lot of personal stuff themselves. And so, the financial team of the Nets would kind of come every week or so, they’d be like, “OK, we thought we had this under control. We’ve got to redo the budgets every week.” And they were like it was just a new thing every damn time.

There’s a lot of things that the Nets do that aren’t kosher. There’s a reason they have this kind of kremlin-esque wall around everything they do. During the middle of COVID, they were working out half the team – well, really, Kyrie, KD and their friends on the team – out in Kobe’s old gym in California. You weren’t allowed to do that during COVID.

They were running a secret camp the whole time, trying to get Kyrie and KD in shape.

Salary-cap circumvention is a serious charge. The Collective Bargaining Agreement restricts player compensation to only terms specified in uniform contracts. Consequences for violations could be extreme – large fines or even voided contracts.

There are gray areas. Nobody is blanching at an owner taking a player out to dinner, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Teams sometimes hire players’ friends and family, and the league allows it.

But this sounds both systematic and under the table – a combination that could prompt league action.

Kawhi Leonard‘s uncle/advisor, Dennis Robertson, reportedly asked the Lakers for a house and other illegal inducements. After Leonard signed with the Clippers and a man claimed the Clippers agreed to pay him to funnel money to Robertson, the NBA opened an investigation into the Clippers.

Perhaps, Brooklyn’s setup is more benign than presented here.

But it wouldn’t be surprising if the league investigates this, too.


Bob


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No wonder they passed up on the Knicks

I hope they throw the book at them.

It's beginning to look like the NCAA around here. Shouldn't $30M a year enough to pay for your own things?

In the 1960's Arthur Goldberg lost a NYC political race by saying of his would be salary, "You can't live in New York on $70,000 a year "

The Nets' stars sure have left that complaint in the dust.

If all this is true, should have listened to Oz. One year and done then bust it up. House of cards. Greed wins EVERY SINGLE TIME.

No further questions, Your Honor. You may step down.

Potentially couldn't happen to 2 maybe 3 more deserved clowns, one so desperate (and possibly now the organization) for a championship, he'd do anything to get it. That's a wrap, Harden. No title for you!! (No, wait!!! He's going to cry his way out of BKN and jack up another team!! Nevermind.) A shame for Durant, as he's somewhat likable but now will possibly have this stain on his career. The other one whose name we cannot mention on this site or in any conversation for fear of turning into a pillar of salt...Merry Christmas!! The earth is flat!!!

Let's see how well the NBA and its players would do if the league just eliminated the playoffs every year or did it ala NCAA Tournament style. If it comes down to a decision and they are guilty, how effing hilarious would it be if the league put a X-year playoff ban on them?!!! Now THAT'S COLD!! Silver doesn't have the you-know-whats to pull that off.

As always, we'll see. Unfortunately, probably a lot of please move along, nothing to see here.

db

How interesting! A while back, on a Bay Area talk show, it was discussed how Harden has a harem in Houston area and has a manager managing the various ladies needs. Didn't think that the Rockets may be paying for all this.

If a link can be established between the Nets and these payments, it will certainly be a violation. Not sure of how much substance is there in this report.

Interesting off-season topic.

this will be an interesting off season. The rumors are out there that they would listen to a trade for Kyrie Irving. That should send him into another one of his tirades. I doubt it will happen, but, if the rumor is out there, then someone in the Net's organization is talking.

This kind of treatment of star players is ridiculous. They make millions and millions playing a boys game, get millions in endorsements and get to keep all their money???? Sickening.

The league will have their hands forced at some point and have to investigate it. Maybe it is a league wide issue?????

RosalieTCeltics wrote:this will be an interesting off season.  The rumors are out there that they would listen to a trade for Kyrie Irving.  That should send him into another one of his tirades.  I doubt it will happen, but, if the rumor is out there, then someone in the Net's organization is talking.

This kind of treatment of star players is ridiculous. They make millions and millions playing a boys game, get millions in endorsements and get to keep all their money????  Sickening.  

The league will have their hands forced at some point and have to investigate it.  Maybe it is a league wide issue?????  

Just curious, where did you hear Nets may unload the self centered idiot Kyrie? So many reasons why the franchise would want to, wonder how Durant would handle that? Michael Kay the biggest voice/star broadcaster on YES, the Yankees and Nets broadcast platform has constantly ripped Kyrie for his actions over and over lol. It is hilarious hearing Kay, as skilled in his profession as any broadcaster, rip Kyrie. One time after a ridiculous tirade about something from Kyrie, Kay said have you ever heard an athlete more in love with hearing himself talk than Kyrie? Hysterical stuff

It was in a story written by Matt Sullivan, Then he took a lot of flack for writing it and tried to back off. Just google kyries name and there are stories there

Who said, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely!"?

db

dbrown4 wrote:Who said, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely!"?

db

Dbrown,

That's called  Acton's Axiom.  It is named after Lord Acton, who said this first.


Bob


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Nice! Well, if true for BKN, then this axiom applies!!

db

If true, this is shameful.

The NBA has to step up and investigate these allegations. Penalties should include fines, suspension of team officials, loss draft assets, etc.

dboss wrote:If true, this is shameful.

The NBA has to step up and investigate these allegations.  Penalties should include fines, suspension of team officials, loss draft assets, etc.

                             if true, this has to be  serious violation of the salary cap.

dboss,

I really like the playoff ban idea, just like my boys at NC State had to endure in the 1973 season.  Basically the death penalty.  NC State got the message.  Came back the following year and won it all.  Probably won't happen here but if implemented it would be the last time you would ever hear of this.  Just like with kids today.  Take away their phones and X-Boxes, their most prized possession.  Almost like oxygen to them.  They get the message real quick.  

But that's not the way to treat "children" in this day and age.  Everybody gets a trophy and a slap on the wrist with a wet noodle.  And your parent is your friend.  

db

Playoff ban on the Nets. Yes.

I thought you'd like that as well, worcester!! Someboyd has to be the example and literally take one for the team!!

db

Dbrown...I am in glorious Highlands NC today. Love this state.

dbrown4 wrote:dboss,

I really like the playoff ban idea, just like my boys at NC State had to endure in the 1973 season.  Basically the death penalty.  NC State got the message.  Came back the following year and won it all.  Probably won't happen here but if implemented it would be the last time you would ever hear of this.  Just like with kids today.  Take away their phones and X-Boxes, their most prized possession.  Almost like oxygen to them.  They get the message real quick.  

But that's not the way to treat "children" in this day and age.  Everybody gets a trophy and a slap on the wrist with a wet noodle.  And your parent is your friend.  

db

Bring back “The Stick”!

Worcester,

You are near where my folks had our mountain house growing up in Banner Elk, NC/Beech Mountain. Boone, Grandfather Mountain, Linville Caverns...such a cool part of the state. Glad you are enjoying it!!

db

Awesome beauty.