You did a fine job

Congratulations, David Stern. You finally grew a spine.

The commissioner of the NBA finally decided to fine LeBron James $25,000 after his display of poor sportsmanship after his Cavaliers were eliminated by the Orlando Magic this past weekend. The gist of the situation is that LeBron made a turn straight turn for the locker room without shaking any of the Magic players' hands. After he went to the locker room, he put a pair of headphones on and refused to field any questions and then left without doing his mandatory press conference afterward.

It was well-deserved because as wrong as it may be (another conversation for another day), LeBron is a hero to a lot of kids. What kind of message is LeBron transmitting to those kids if he doesn't hold himself to the highest possible standards of professionalism? Basketball needs a high-class superstar to reverse the alarming trend of poor sportsmanship that has seeped down through the ranks of basketball. LeBron's behavior just perpetuated and perhaps amplified the trend.

Of course, when you're LeBron $25,000 is something that you pull from under the couch cushions, but the real impact of this is not the amount that he was fined: it is the fact that he was fined at all.

At first, the league office decided not to fine LeBron because "we haven't had any issues with him before at all," according to NBA spokesman Tim Frank.

No. That is not a legit reason. Shaq was fined for skipping a news conference when he was with the Heat in the '06 Finals. Just because Shaq likes to stir the pot a bit doesn't mean that he should be fined while LeBron isn't because he hasn't done anything. Rules are rules, and violation of the rules should have clear and universal consequences.

And to be completely frank, that wasn't the reason at all. They can't say it, but the reason they didn't want to fine him is because he is the face of the league. He is the golden child of the NBA. And though it wouldn't have much of an effect, if he were to be fined it would reflect poorly upon other people and there would be a minute amount of the population that would be turned off to LeBron James. They want LeBron to be as universal as possible.

That is why I am so proud of David Stern for fining LeBron, albeit a few days late. It would have been easy to just let it slide because LeBron had a clean record up to that point, but what kind of message is that sending? That LeBron is above the system while players of such stature as Shaq aren't?

It makes sure that LeBron knows that he is not the league, just a part of it.

Kudos to you, David Stern. Let 'em know who's in charge.