NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants to make it clear how serious he is about stopping tampering in the league. Previously the NBA has simply fined coaches, managers, and executives when they've been caught tampering, but now more serious infractions are being introduced. Executives could face suspension, teams will lose draft picks, and players face the possibility of having their contracts voided if tampering in the league continues.
As announced on Friday, the NBA Board of Governors has passed stricter measures to enforce compliance with tampering. "The ultimate goal is compliance," Silver said at a press conference.
This is a very different stance to what was reported earlier this month. A memo was sent out to teams around the league, suggesting a $10 million fine to any organization found guilty.
As ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported, Silver also indicated that he could take away forms of communication from those involved with tampering. He said he "does not want to take people's devices" but also indicated that he's still open to doing it. Adrian Wojnarowski added that team officials are worried about what the league could discover on phones and other devices if not evidence of tampering, calling the NBA "an information business, and people want to protect their information."
Understandably, Twitter has found plenty to talk about with the suggestion that phones could be taken away, with many comparing it to teachers in high school.
It remains to be seen how players will react to the news, but there certainly won't celebratory comments.
