<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Lakers fined forward Vladimir Radmanovic $500,000 ? about 10% of his salary this season ? for a contract violation stemming from a snowboarding crash during the NBA All-Star break. Radmanovic, out until mid- to late-April because of a separated right shoulder sustained in the accident, said he would not appeal the fine. "It's fair for what I did. I just want to move forward and try to get healthy and get back on the court," he said. Radmanovic, 26, is in the first year of a five-year, $30.2 million contract and he expressed relief that the Lakers did not take the drastic step of voiding his contract entirely. He initially told Lakers officials he hurt himself while crossing the street after getting coffee in Park City, Utah. He admitted lying a few days later. It was his first time snowboarding. "We discussed internally among our coach, ownership and management a variety of disciplinary options and thought that this was the fairest and most appropriate action," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "We consider this a closed issue now and look forward to Vlade's return to action, where he'll be able to use his talents to help our team."</div> Source Ouch.
$500k is an INSANELY high fine. However, putting myself in Kupchak's shoes, I would NOT be happy with him going snowboarding, which is a fairly risky activity.... What if Kobe went snowboarding and had the same thing happen? The whole season would be lost.
^Isn't also against his contract too? Seems like Vlade is always getting screwed money-wise. He turned down almost $50 million from the Sonics, and now he's getting fined 500K.
That's a big hunk of change, one of the bigger fines of sports today... But he got what he had coming.