One more time. Jackson didn't "make the league look bad." That's just silly. This was between a player (employee) and team (employer). The league was not a party to the dispute and Stern should have kept his nose out of it.
Wrong. What if half the players in the league start demanding trades? What if the leading scorer on EVERY team demands a trade. What if ALL the players on one team start demanding trades. If such mutiny goes unchecked, it can, and will damage the NBA financially.
The league's income comes from fans who watch the games on TV, fill the arenas and purchase NBA branded merchandise. In these hard economic times, with people loosing jobs at record rates, the last thing the NBA needs is the public perception that it's players are a bunch of whiny, overpaid malcontents. When a guy who has a $28 million dollar guaranteed contract starts complaining to the media about HIS job situation, it damages the league's reputation, and hence, their bottom line.
Yes, when the Warrior's star player publicly demands a trade, it potentially hurts the team's bottom line (wouldn't you be less likely to purchase Blazers season tickets and team merchandise if Brandon Roy started demanding a trade?), but it also damages the league. Lower ticket sales and lower TV ratings in any market hurts the league's bottom line.
There is a reason this "no public trade demands" clause is in the NBA collective bargaining agreement. It is there to protect the league's image, and therefore, their bottom line. That clause was approved by the NBA Player's Union, and as a member of the Union, Jackson is bound by the terms of that agreement. He's not the first to be fined for public trade demands. So, this action is not without precedent and should not come as a surprise to anyone - including Jackson and his agent.
BNM