FIRESTORM: Utah Jazz Hit With $500,000 Fine as David Locke SLAMS NBA for Selective Punishment
Utah Jazz face a controversial $500,000 fine as Adam Silver aims to “win the press conference” ahead of NBA All-Star weekend. Is the league enforcing tanking rules inconsistently, and who really benefits from the firestorm around the Jazz? David Locke scrutinizes the NBA’s response, spotlighting the impact on owner Ryan Smith and raising critical questions about the league’s integrity and gambling influences.
Key discussion points include Jaren Jackson Jr.’s brief but impressive defensive impact, the future roles of Keonte George and Lauri Markkanen, and a candid evaluation of young prospects like Cody Williams, Bryce Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, and Isaiah Collier. Locke explores roster development strategies, potential trade routes, and the playoff outlook for Utah Jazz as they battle to maintain their draft pick and solidify their place in the Western Conference. Will the Jazz pivot from development to win-now mode, and how will Adam Silver’s actions shape the NBA’s approach to tanking?
00:00: Jazz $500k Fine & Tanking Outrage
12:05: Ask LOJ: Fan Reactions & League Issues
26:47: Young Player Development & Offseason Needs
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29 Comments
It's only $$$$$$$$$.Jazz will make sure they keep their pick……fines won't matter…lottery seeding does!
Wow because someone on the ESPN started this BS, they didn't say anything about Philadelphia 76ers did it for many years and they still didn't win
Literally one third of the league is tanking. Wouldn't it just be easier to admit that this elite draft class is exposing that the current system needs a little work? Is the goal just for ESPN to shut up about it? I think most fans understand what's happening.
People at prize picks want the Jazz to tank differently
Ryan Smith should appeal the fine, sue the league if necessary and then tank even harder.
The jazz are not going to suddenly start winning. They are most likely going to be in position 6 for the lottery.
AND NOW, do you really think the league is going to PLAY-IT-FAIR and let the jazz get a top 4 pick?
DO YOU?
If the draft is rigged (DUH), then the jazz are going to get bumped to the 9 spot.
Does the league want Washington, Sacramento, Indiana, and Charlotte to get Boozer, AJ and the other great players in this draft?
No, they want Dallas to have AJ to pair with Cooper.
It is a business and there is a lot of money at stake. Is there any law that says the lottery has to be fair and not rigged?
Put it this way, if it was found out that they did rig the lottery, would anyone get punished? Jail time? Congressional hearing?
At least the jazz play their guys. So it's okay to just sit your starting 5 for the whole game but not for one quarter? What are we doing here?
We cannot class action as we have not been legally harmed only SEG has a cause of action
Just shut everyone down.
Key’s ankle needs to recover, gonna take the rest of the season
JJJ is out for surgery, out for the rest of the season.
Lauri’s back spasms have come back, out for the rest of the season.
Give the ball to Ace and let’s see what he can do when he’s the center of everything.
Is this the ethical way of keeping the integrity of the league?
JJJ will be a perfect mentor for Ace. I am so excited for everything he is bringing off the floor.
Oklahoma where the wind blows down the plain.
The "integrity" of the NBA is clear to everyone who knows anything about the situation. Or should I say the lack thereof
Stop being an embarrassment and sitting your stars in the fourth quarter when people pay hard earned money to come see them Play and what’s 500 grand to an NBA owner come on ridiculous topic here
Ridiculous😢
Yet still no real discipline for Steve Balmer and Kahwi for blatant fraud… Adam Silver = Fake tough guy
stupid fire
David when you hurry to finish a sentence you mumble. I dont understand mumble
Stop reading FanDuel and DraftKings ads bro. They are the ones pouring the gasoline on the firestorm you’re talking about.
Stop trying to pass the buck. The Jazz earned their fines, and everyone knows it. Are they the only ones doing it? No. Are they the most obvious ones doing it? Yeah. Is Laurie getting passed over for the All Star game because of it? Yeah. That's not his fault, and that's what you should be mad about.
So why is it OK for similar markets to Salt Lake like Denver, Oklahoma, and the Spurs to be powerhouses in the west, but not the jazz? Seems like the NBA wants us to be good enough where we never get a high lottery pick, but not good enough where we will ever win a championship.
Thank you for the clarity of the audio.
I dont care about front offices tanking.. It is what it is.. U cant get rid of it.. But when coach starts fixing games blatantly in game, like Hardy did against Orlando, Im drawing the line..
Will Hardy should be banned for life, just like other match fixers like Rozier and MPJs brother.
Fine the team that has never had a number 1 pick and has had the 7th most regular season wins for the last 40 yrs? Adam Silver is awful.
IMO, there are 3 major contributors to this fine coming down. 1. Tanking is a problem and they don't want it to continue, and the Jazz were doing "egregious" tanking (along with 6 or 7 other teams, most of which weren't fined.) Karen Presti wasn't pleased we were making use of the tools he used a few years ago and is getting sqeuaky to make sure his team gets their trade prize. 2. Sports betting has infested the game and our tanking method interferes with sports betting in a more direct way than sitting players for entire games. 3. The league has failed to create/market super stars to follow up the LeBron, KD, Curry era. They failed to invest in younger stars in favor of repeatedly cashing in on short sighted promotions of aging star. They've decided on those new stars now, with the older generation fading out, and it's SGA, Wemby, and to a lesser degree (???) Ant Edwards. They're interested in keeping those teams good, promoting them to super stars and propelling the superstar driven marketing strategy that has worked for the league for decades. It seems like they just don't have interest in putting any teams in the way of their marketing strategy. I think they'd like to have SGA/Chet vs Wemby and the Young Guns guards in the WCF for the next 5 years.
The solution is easy, all non-playoff teams should get the same lottery odds. Teams will not tank to race to the bottom if they'll have the same odds as teams who just missed the playoffs.
I can’t escape the thought it’s all about sports gambling deals.
I made this post yesterday but I'll make it again: If you suit up players, then it's expected that you play them, especially if they're your best players. We got cute and thought we could tank only in the 4th Quarter. We should have never suited up JJJ or Lauri. They should have had a mystery ailment that kept them out of those games. I hope they get a mystery ailment that keeps them out for the rest of the season. However, if they don't, then you've got to play them and that includes at the end of close games.
I know we want to see JJJ and how he'll fit into the rest of the team. I'd rather see a Loss that see JJJ or Lauri on the floor. If the NBA fines us for this, then I really think they're the most hypocritical league office in the country because several other teams are just sitting their best players.
Blazers & Coach Billups blatantly tanked multiple games 4 years straight.
The NBA stayed mute while Portland was losing on purpose for better ping pong percentage. Jazz won a game… and they got fined 500k ??… wtf ?
I propose a vote of no confidence in commissioner silver.
My question in Mr Silvers press conference would be “Why did you create a fake smoking gun on one of the least liked media wise franchise in the league using tanking an age old problem… to distract how a superstar player used a gambling company to create false rumors to pressure is franchise and create a profit at the trade deadline? Does the NBA have no power over gambling entities one of which now owns the Dallas mavericks and is attacking and formulating legislation to make the team a casino/basketball experience? The league has players accused of rigging, coaches guilty of participating in gambling rings real issues affecting the perception and integrity of the league? Why is the nba in bed with its greatest threat?”
Mr Silver? Long John?