Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers has been fined $10,000 for making public statements detrimental to the NBA. The statements were made in an interview published in the Indianapolis Star on December 11, and concerned Artest's desire to be traded to a team other than the Pacers.
"Public trade demands by players was a subject discussed at length during collective bargaining negotiations this summer," said Rick Buchanan, NBA Senior Vice President and General Counsel. "The damage caused by these kinds of statements was commonly understood, as was the NBA's intention to hold players accountable for such statements going forward."