The Los Angeles Lakers released a statement regarding the punishment stemming from the tampering charges brought upon them.
The Los Angeles Lakers received their punishment today from the tampering charges brought upon them by the Indiana Pacers. After the investigation, the Lakers have been fined $500,000 for their actions.
While the fine shows that there was some wrongdoing, the Lakers come away avoiding any major punishments. $500,000 is a lot of money, but for a franchise worth $3 billion dollars, it isn’t much, especially when they could have been fined $5 million.
The Lakers also avoided the bigger punishments of losing a draft pick or being barred from acquiring Paul George, the player at the middle of the investigation.
The Pacers filed the charges believing there was impermissible contact between George and the Lakers. Magic Johnson was at the middle of the investigation, stemming from his appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show.
It was revealed, however, that it was not Johnson who broke the rules this time; it was actually general manager Rob Pelinka. The NBA announced that it was Pelinka’s communication with George’s agent as he expressed prohibited interest in George while he was under contract.
With the punishment being handed down, the Lakers have released a statement regarding the tampering charges investigation. Pelinka offered a statement that was shared on the Lakers official website.
More from Lakers News
- 2 Lakers who would benefit the most from a Kyrie Irving trade
- Victor Oladipo’s Russell Westbrook comments are terrible sign for Lakers
- 3 Most likely positions the Lakers will use for the last roster spot
- Kings signing castoffs from Lakers’ nightmare seasons is strange
- ESPN predicts a better season for the Lakers even with Russell Westbrook
"“We respect and accept the NBA’s decision regarding this matter. On behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers, I want to express our regret over this unfortunate incident to both our fans and the NBA.”"
This is a learning experience for everyone involved. There was expected to be a learning curve for Johnson and Pelinka, both rookies in their respective positions of President of Basketball Operations and General Manager.
In addition to Pelinka, the Lakers’ outside counsel, Adam Streisand of Sheppard Mullin Richter &Hampton LLP, also shared a statement via the Lakers website.
"“The Lakers organization is pleased that this thorough investigation has been brought to a close – and we can assure the fans that the Lakers will be hyper-vigilant going forward to make sure this is never an issue again.”"
Next: 20 Greatest Individual Performances In Lakers History
The Lakers undoubtedly are happy that this is behind them. They also have to be happy that there was no true wrongdoing with bigger penalties. You can be sure that Johnson and Pelinka will do their due diligence in following the by-laws, as they have now been issued multiple warnings from the NBA and been fined as well.