The NBA has fined the LA Clippers $50,000 for violating the league’s anti-tampering rule when Clippers coach Doc Rivers commented about the Toronto Raptors‘ Kawhi Leonard.
While the league did not specify which comments, Rivers compared Leonard to Michael Jordan during an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Finals preview show on Tuesday.
“[Leonard] is the most like Jordan that we’ve seen,” Rivers said. “There’s a lot of great players. LeBron is phenomenal, KD is phenomenal. Not that [Leonard] is Jordan or anything like that, but he’s the most like him. Big hands, post game, can finish. Great leaper, great defender, in-between game. If you beat him to the spot he bumps you off, and then you add his three-point shooting.”
Leonard, 27, can become a free agent when this season ends.