Jay-Z may have just added to his list of 99 problems.
According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the rap mogul may come under investigation by the NBA for his contact with Kentucky basketball players after their win over North Carolina that propelled them into the Final Four.
By rule, team executives are to have a minimum of contact with potential NBA draft picks until the player has officially declared himself eligible for the draft. It’s a lesson that Boston Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge learned the hard way. Ainge was fined $30,000 in 2007 after sitting with Kevin Durant’s mother during the Big 12 tournament.
As part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, Jigga may fall victim to the same rule since Kentucky has a pair of players that could end up as lottery picks (Brandon Knight and Terrance Jones). In reality, the violation is minor and any penalties that come from it would likely be minor as well – relatively speaking.
If the visit was unplanned, as reported, then it’s unlikely that Jay was looking to gain some sort of competitive advantage. Although just by being Jay-Z in a college basketball locker room would give him an advantage over Ainge or probably any other NBA executive. Which is why you should expect to see a slap-on-the-wrist type fine coming from David Stern. Just a friendly reminder about the league’s rules and why they’re there.