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Michael Jordan isn’t above the rules. Some would say he should be, guess. Legends don’t always get the same treatment as others. Still, during a lockout and secretive talks between the sides, any comment about the situation, even if it’s made across the ocean regarding the financial situation in the league and Andrew Bogut’s future, brings out the heavy fines.

Jordan’s words in the Australian Herald Sun took some time to reach American eyes and fine issuers, but they did. Jordan talked both about the lockout and the position of the small-market teams and Andrew Bogut. The NBA reserves the $100k, the six figure punishments, for the most severe cases, in their opinion. Like what?

Last year it was Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards, after talking about the salary cap. In May, before the Decision, Mark Cuban got fined for talking about LeBron James and this past season, when Kobe Bryant let out a anti-gay slur at an official during a game. When there’s no activity around the league, the NBA needs to fill up its bank account with something. Jordan’s words were exactly what they needed to make the people at the bank happy.

So what did he say? He gave Andrew Bogut as an example for a quality player hurting from the fact that his team, the Milwaukee Bucks, can’t afford to make runs for the top free agents, opting for the hard cap adjustment.

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The model we’ve been operating under is broken. We have 22 or 23 teams losing money, I think we have gotta come to some kind of understanding in this partnership that we have to realign. We have stars like Bogut who are entitled to certain type of demands. But for us to be profitable in small markets, we have to be able to win ballgames and build a better basketball team. I didn’t know Bogut was a star, but I guess that’s what happens when you talk to a media outlet down under.

Small-market teams would benefit greatly from a “hard” salary cap, and it would allow clubs such as Milwaukee to plan a future on key players including the Australian center. I love Bogut’s game. He’s made a very good start and he’s definitely gonna be a star. His big problem is that he’s been dealing with that elbow injury. But he is a star to be reckoned with will be a star for some time.

Is talking about Andrew Bogut worth the fine? Is the former no.1 draft pick worth the fine? I guess Jordan won’t be hurting too much from this, although I think its ridiculous owners and players need to pay the league fines. If you fine them, make it out to some charity. No need for the league to benefit more their questionable rules. I think this should be in the next Bargaining agreement. Derek Fisher, hope you’re taking notes.