We just came across a small blurb on CBSSports.com that may or may not interest you, depending on your interest level in tampering violations. When Kentucky punched its ticket to the Final Four Sunday afternoon, a special visitor dropped into the locker room after the game to celebrate with the Wildcats. The guest was none other than Jay-Z, who is no stranger to interacting with NBA folks, and as you can imagine the Kentucky players were amped over it.
The problem is Jay-Z is a co-owner of the New Jersey Nets. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Nets, they are a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA. NBA teams like the Nets build their franchises by drafting collegiate athletes once they lose their amateur status — after they are eligible to leave school and declare for the draft. That status still applies during the NCAA Tournament.
When Celtics GM Danny Ainge sat with Kevin Durant’s mother during the 2007 NCAA Tournament, he was slapped with a $30,000 fine for excessive contact with an amateur athlete’s family. With that in mind, it would stand to reason that Jay-Z will likely be fined $30,000 for each player he came in contact with on Sunday.
Kentucky boasts top draft prospects like Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, but somehow I doubt Jay-Z was talking shop with them minutes after they won their biggest game of the season. Nevertheless, it was obviously poor judgment on his part. Then again, maybe it was worth the fine.
