Jay Z is a small minority owner in the Brooklyn Nets (not as big of an owner as he is made out to be), so he has to follow the rules of the NBA Lockout.

One of those rules is he is not suppose to have contact with the players.

Even when they want to pop bottles of Ace of Spades with him.

“So all the athletes were clamoring to talk to Jay-Z in his private section, even Melo, but because of the lockout, Jay had to turn them all down. He refused to let any of them through, and also warned his security to watch out because of his NBA ownership, he wasn’t allowed to fraternize with them,” said our source.

Jay Z maybe the most powerful rapper in world, but even he knows better than to mess with Mob Boss David Stern.