NBA Threatening To Fine NBA Stars Touring In Manila

NBA players can earn extra cash in the summer by signing on for international tours. The NBA is huge globally and has millions of fans across Asia that will pay good money to get an up close view of their favorites. But the NBA is warning its stars that they’ll be fined if they participate in any non-NBA sanctioned tours. By participate they mean, shoot, play HORSE, etc.

In the memo, the Players Association informed player agents and players that the NBA “has taken the position that any such exhibition or competition is unallowable and is not approved for player participation under the [Collective Bargaining Agreement], regardless of whether it is incorporated into a ‘clinic’ or other ‘benign-sounding activity.'”

One such exhibition in Manilla had to be canceled last minute, because the organizers failed to get proper authorization from the NBA. Several NBA stars, including Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard, were scheduled to participate and had already traveled to Manila this week.

Player agents believe that the NBA took a hardline stance on the Manila event because it wants to keep financial control of these international events involving NBA players, selling its own sponsorships to organizers and controlling the payouts to players.

The NBA players cut a direct deal with the Manila organizers, including some star players earning $150,000-plus stipends for the two-day event in the Philipines, sources said.

Per Yahoo Sports, the league is actually more concerned about the playing conditions, equipment, doctors etc. Between things like this and the league cashing out on new TV deals, expect the players to want parts of the CBA renegotiated in 2017.