Kobe Bryant hurls a gay slur and gets slapped with a $100,000 fine. Now Kobe's coach, Phil Jackson, has incurred $150,000 in penalties for uttering the word "lockout." Only in the NBA. The Lakers and Jackson have been fined $75,000 each for comments the coach made about collective bargaining, according to multiple reports. The comment evidently was one made in Portland to traveling Laker writers about next season in which Jackson reportedly said it would be wiped out entirely, according to ESPN. Jackson said that the uncertainly shrouding next season factored into his decision to retire. "It was really about the fact that there's going to be a lockout," Jackson reportedly said. "It's the perfect time to help the organization cover a gap if there's a lockout. My staff, all those guys who work with me. All those things played into it. I felt like an obligation." "Who knows what the NBA is going to look like next year?" Jackson continued. "It's going to take on a whole different proportion. How long is it going to last? I think there are some people who are pretty convinced there's not going to be a year next year." It's no secret that giving controversial on-the-record comments about collective bargaining is taboo. But does an honest off-the-cuff remark about the uncertain future of the league really merit a heftier fine than using a derogatory gay term on the court? Then again, does it even matter? Jackson is the NBA's highest-paid coach and Bryant, who signed a three-year, $83.5 million extension in 2010, is the top-paid player. To put that in perspective: If Kobe makes roughly $30 million this year, it will take him just over 29 hours to pay off his fine. Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_162-20054050-10391697.html
