LeBron James, Miami Heat and Co. Have NBA Owners Suspicious
July 12, 2010
League owners will meet today in Las Vegas to discuss labor negotiations.
Several teams are reportedly suspicious of the Miami Heat tampering with free-agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and will raise these concerns during today's meeting. Additionally, it's also likely that owners will discuss concerns about "player-to-player" collusion.
NBA rules prohibit team officials and its players from recruiting or negotiating with soon-to-be free agents until July 1.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh reportedly held a private meeting in June to discuss their respective free-agent plans. This meeting and the players' subsequent decision to join the Heat have raised concerns about player collusion.
It's unclear whether officials from Miami met with LeBron James or Chris Bosh before July 1. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors have stated that they will not push the NBA to investigate charges of tampering by the Miami Heat.
UPDATE July 13:
NBA Commissioner David Stern dismissed owners' concerns about tampering and collusion at Monday's meeting, "What we told the owners was that the three players are totally, as our system has evolved, within their rights to talk to each other."
Stern also clarified that he does not plan to lodge an investigation, although the league could technically do so without a formal complaint.
SN Counsel focuses his journalism on sports law issues