The NBA is starting tonight. There are a lot of people that are excited about it. I am excited to see Kevin Durant on the floor again. Same with Steph Curry. I’m also excited to watch LeBron James play for two games then peace out for an extended period of time. Before the season tipped off, the NBA announced that they would be fining the Milwaukee Bucks a second-round draft pick in 2022 for their supposed ‘tampering’ of Bodgan Bogdonvic. The NBA finds any which way they can to punish a small-market organization while the large market does whatever they want. The rules are different.

The aforementioned James pursued Anthony Davis 16 months before they played together. James wanted Davis to be in Los Angeles and made it a goal of his. LeBron started to do things to make every indication that he wanted AD to be in LA. It was highly illegal if we’re using the same standards as the Bucks had. The NBA never even slapped LeBron on the wrist. Why? Well, James can do whatever he wants in the NBA. And two, the league is in a better spot if the Los Angeles Lakers are successful. They let it happen under their noses without a care in the world.

In this case, Milwaukee got screwed by a reporter using pointed language online to assume a deal was done. Adrain Wojnarowski’s comments were ones that made it feel like this deal was finished. Instead of using things like ‘Sources close say the Bucks will make this move by Friday’, he was definitive in nature. This raised the eyebrow of the league. As we said on a podcast a month ago, Woj held a grudge against the Bucks because he didn’t break the Jrue Holiday story. That belonged to The Athletic, so, he spilled the worst-kept secret in the league.

Giannis Antetokounmpo mentioned that he received text messages from rival teams wanting him to play for their team while trying to decide on the Supermax. If I’m the Bucks, I’m telling Giannis to send in every screenshot possible to try and level out the playing field. We’ll see what comes of the Los Angeles Clippers’ tampering chare which features a big market and a well-respected figure in the league.

The rules are different for the small market and that sucks. But that’s how the NBA wants it.

Charlie.