Owner Real Deal Posted June 29, 2010 Owner Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Hip-hop magnate and Nets minority owner Jay-Z has said publicly that he's not going to pressure his friend LeBron James to join his team, but who says he can't seduce him a little? On Friday, less than a week before a handful of NBA ball clubs travel to Ohio to woo the soon-to-be free agent into one of their jerseys, King James spent some quality time with Jay-Z in New York, and got a taste of the super-swank life that could be his if he made the Nets his team. James made a surprise appearance at the 40th birthday party for branding guru Steve Stoute that took place Friday night at a magnificent seventh-floor roof garden at Rockefeller Center. (In addition to being a close friend of Jay-Z's, Stoute is the founder of Translations, the marketing firm that has put James together with McDonald's and other deep-pocketed corporate sponsors.) At the party, LeBron - who's no stranger to VIP treatment - got the full Jay-Z Family experience: he arrived with the rapper and his wife Beyoncé. Mary J. Blige was also on hand. He ate a meal catered by Chef April Bloomfield and the staff of the Spotted Pig, which counts Jay-Z as an investor. (Dishes included beef and Stilton pie and Arctic char; and at 2 a.m., breakfast with something called "steak and egg biscuits" was served.) And helping the crowd work off all those calories was Beyoncé's sister Solange Knowles, who played deejay for the evening.http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/06/28/2010-06-28_lebron_james.html How is this not tampering? Jay-Z is part owner of the Nets. Had Cuban done this league would've fined him millions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 So you expect Jay-Z to no longer speak to his friend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish7718 Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 So you expect Jay-Z to no longer speak to his friend?Not when his friend is a potential free agent in a league which he is a partial owner of a team. I agree it is tampering but I don't think Jay should be fined. If Dolan took LeBron to a club and NY then would Dolan get to say he's just LeBrons friend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Favors? Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Tampering nah. Out of line, yes.They're friends, but either way Jay-Z shouldn't be giving LeBron 99% of his attention around this time period in the NBA. Either way, I doubt LeBron joins the Nets. Sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted June 29, 2010 Author Owner Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 So you expect Jay-Z to no longer speak to his friend?I sort of agree with Chad Ford, to be honest. Do I expect him to ignore LeBron? Not all the time, but until July 1st, most definitely. Even for the good of the Nets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 But how do you know that Lebron isn't friends with Steve Stoute along with Jay-Z? Too many ifs in my opinion to call this "tampering" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammin Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 This is just a way to make him look bad/get him in trouble. Jay-Z isn't going to stop being friends with him for a couple months because he's affiliated with a team. So they're saying that if Jay-Z goes to a club to party, and any free agent is there then Jay-Z has to leave? Who cares, they're friends, LeBron isn't going to use a party and some food help him decide on where to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWaLL Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 One could argue it is tampering, but it isn't. Even though it's obvious Jay-Z is trying to lure Lebron, who's to say they aren't just enjoying their time together as friends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JYD Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Eh that's not tampering. Who really cares honestly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWaLL Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Eh that's not tampering. Who really cares honestly.Anyone who is a fan of a team that has the chance to land Lebron. Jealousy is resulting in pointing fingers, but Jay-Z is doing nothing wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted June 30, 2010 Author Owner Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 The problem wasn't that they were at the same party, it was that he arrived with him. That's different. I can run into someone by accident, at some event, and call it a coincidence...but you can't make excuses for the two arriving together. If this were any other GM, it would be tampering. Any contact with players before the start of the FA period gets the league rattled any other day of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfish Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 And that is exactly why the Nets are my pick to land Lebron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammin Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 The problem wasn't that they were at the same party, it was that he arrived with him. That's different. I can run into someone by accident, at some event, and call it a coincidence...but you can't make excuses for the two arriving together. If this were any other GM, it would be tampering. Any contact with players before the start of the FA period gets the league rattled any other day of the week.He's not a GM tho, he's just an owner. I know it doesn't make much of a difference but still. And I still don't see how this is tampering. They're friends. Cuban is friends with Dirk, does that mean he's not allowed to talk to him as friends until July 1st? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfish Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 He's not a GM tho, he's just an owner. I know it doesn't make much of a difference but still. And I still don't see how this is tampering. They're friends. Cuban is friends with Dirk, does that mean he's not allowed to talk to him as friends until July 1st?Im pretty sure teams are allowed to talk to players at any time for extending a contract. I see your point though haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 (edited) The other players in free agency are doing worse. Edited June 30, 2010 by Dash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 He's not a GM tho, he's just an owner. I know it doesn't make much of a difference but still. And I still don't see how this is tampering. They're friends. Cuban is friends with Dirk, does that mean he's not allowed to talk to him as friends until July 1st?Good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted June 30, 2010 Author Owner Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Cuban is friends with Dirk, does that mean he's not allowed to talk to him as friends until July 1st?Probably avoiding contact with him during the first couple of weeks after the Finals are over. Tampering is when a player or team directly or indirectly entices, induces or persuades anybody (player, general manager, etc.) who is under contract with another team to negotiate for their services. The NBA takes tampering very seriously and may impose stiff penalties if it is discovered, however the league will not investigate unless another team files tampering charges.So let's just assume Jay-Z wasn't even discussing the NBA (maybe he wasn't, but I think we all know he was). Is it really worth risking? According to the league, you can be fined up to $5 million AND lose your draft picks for a few years. That's a HUGE blow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Probably avoiding contact with him during the first couple of weeks after the Finals are over. So let's just assume Jay-Z wasn't even discussing the NBA (maybe he wasn't, but I think we all know he was). Is it really worth risking? According to the league, you can be fined up to $5 million AND lose your draft picks for a few years. That's a HUGE blow.Is it worth getting Lebron? Yes in my opinion. Wait, if we tamper is he still allowed to sign with us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted June 30, 2010 Author Owner Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Wait, if we tamper is he still allowed to sign with us? Maybe not. If the league finds that Cuban crossed the line, it could impose penalties ranging from a fine of up to $5 million to the loss of draft picks to prohibiting the Mavs from bidding on James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastNiner Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Is it worth getting Lebron? Yes in my opinion. Wait, if we tamper is he still allowed to sign with us? Don't sweat it. He'll be there at the start of the season. And, if by some crazy occurrence he isn't, you'll get Melo next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Universe Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 I don't see any team complaining about it though because they are such good friends. If he was partying with Rod Thorn one night randomly then everyone would be on it but if the Bulls, Knicks or Cavs said something, it might push LeBron away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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