AP Photo/Aaron Gash
The Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving were fined $35,000 each for violating NBA media access rules on Wednesday.
The NBA noted the fines resulted from Irving’s “repeated refusal to participate in post-game media availability”.
Irving has routinely avoided meeting with reporters after games this season. NBA rules require that players who participate in games be released to the media after games.
Irving has long had a tenuous relationship with the press; he refused his pre-season media demands in favor of a statement that ridiculed the “pawns”. The NBA fined him $25,000 as a result.
“The focus is on what’s going on here. You know, my job,” Irving said in December. “And I wanted to make sure that was clear. No distractions, nothing about dispelling anything, nothing about back and forth, nothing about calling one person or another, no even on you guys like pawns. You know what I mean? Or media. That’s really how I felt about the mistreatment of some artists, when we come to a certain plate -form where we make decisions in our lives to have full control and ownership.”
The fact that the organization was also fined indicates the league feels the Nets haven’t done a good enough job of pushing Irving to meet with the media.
Although post-game availability is rarely a taxing undertaking – it almost never exceeds 10 to 15 minutes for a player – Irving apparently decided he would only participate when he felt up to it. It’s his right, but it’s also worth noting that the NBA and the media work together. Journalists are paid for their coverage of stars like Irving, and the NBA product is exposed.
It’s likely that the NBA will only continue to increase penalties if Irving continues to evade responsibility.
