When the news came out that Jay-Z visited the locker room of the Kentucky Wildcats after their victory over North Carolina this past Sunday, something didn't seem quite right. The main issue is that Jay-Z is part owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets.
With the East regional final of the NCAA tournament being played in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which happens to be the home of the Nets, it's fair to say that Jay-Z had a right to be in the building. According to the NY Post, Jay-Z's visit is not a violation of NCAA rules. As long as someone looked into it and found nothing wrong, I'm satisfied for now.
Jay-Z's visit to Kentucky's locker room may violate NBA rules [The Dagger]
The advantage Jay-Z could gain by mingling with Kentucky would be the chance to spend time around potential draft picks in order to make a better informed decision on whether to invest in them or not. The Wildcats have several potential lottery picks, including guard Brandon Knight and forward Terrence Jones.I'm sure Jay-Z had no bad intentions by doing this. It's that perceived conflict of interest that's the problem, and apparently the NBA agrees.
According to CBSSports.com, the NBA is investigating whether Jay-Z's presence in the Kentucky locker room is a violation of league rules prohibiting team personnel from having contact with college players before they declare for the draft.The NBA will need to enforce its rules, and there is precedent for a penalty from the league:
The situation is reminiscent of one that occurred four years ago involving Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and then-Texas prospect Kevin Durant. Ainge was fined $30,000 for sitting with Durant's mother during a Big 12 tournament game before the freshman forward had declared his intent to enter the NBA draft.In the end, Jay-Z may get a similar fine, which he'll probably be able to pay with pocket change.
With the East regional final of the NCAA tournament being played in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which happens to be the home of the Nets, it's fair to say that Jay-Z had a right to be in the building. According to the NY Post, Jay-Z's visit is not a violation of NCAA rules. As long as someone looked into it and found nothing wrong, I'm satisfied for now.
Jay-Z's visit to Kentucky's locker room may violate NBA rules [The Dagger]
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
