Arison feels the heat over Twitter comments

THE NBA fined Miami Heat owner Micky Arison $500,000 (€365,000) for comments he made on Twitter that violated the league’s regulations on speaking publicly about the lockout that has crippled the sport.

Arison responded to a poster on Twitter who had directed a comment to him questioning, “How does it feel to be a part of ruining the best game in the world? NBA owners/players don’t give a damn about fans … Fans provide all the money you’re fighting over … you greedy pigs.”

In response, Arison posted: “You are barking at the wrong owner.”

Another fan on Twitter asked Arison what he thought about eccentric Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, and Arison responded with “lol.”

The tweets created an uproar on Twitter, inspiring Arison to soon delete them.

The NBA has a strict policy that no league official – including owners, executives, front office personnel or coaches – are allowed to speak about the particulars of the lockout. Last year, Wizards owner Ted Leonis had to shell out $100,000 (€73,000) for comments about the owners’ want for a hard salary cap. In September, former NBA superstar and Bobcats owner Michael Jordan was fined $100,000 (€73,000) after he told an Australian media outlet that the NBA’s current business model was “broken.”