Advertisement

Sources: Knicks fined for Phil Jackson's comment on D'Angelo Russell

Sources: Knicks fined for Phil Jackson's comment on D'Angelo Russell

The NBA has fined the New York Knicks for president Phil Jackson publicly commenting on Ohio State freshman guard D'Angelo Russell, a league source told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday night.

It is immediately unclear how much money the Knicks were fined.

Upon leaving Ohio State's game on Thursday night in Columbus, Jackson told Cleveland.com that Russell was a "great looking kid, [a] great prospect."

The NBA forbids league officials from making public comments on college underclassmen. The rule is partly in place to protect the NBA from the perception that it's pushing players to leave school early for the draft.

Around the NBA, front-office executives were surprised Jackson would violate the rule, given that it is a well-known rule that his peers understand has to be observed. Most saw it as a window into Jackson's inexperience as a front-office executive.

After winning 11 NBA championships as a coach, this is Jackson's first full season as an NBA executive. The Knicks will have one of the highest picks in the 2015 draft, and Russell is considered the No. 1 point guard prospect in college basketball.

The NBA fined Phil Jackson $25,000 for tampering with Derek Fisher when he was still a player with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

More NBA coverage: