Empty the Bench

With his Texas Longhorns already eliminated from the men’s NCAA Tournament, it’s just about time for their superstar 6-9 freshman, Kevin Durant, to drop the bomb and decide whether he’s staying at Texas or moving his game to the big leagues. For his part, Durant was in no mood to discuss it after his team’s blowout loss to USC (“I don’t really think that’s an appropriate question right now”), and recently said that the decision about whether or not to go pro rests with his parents:

“I’m not worried about that (the NBA),” Durant said. “I love playing in college. I know I’m having fun in college. I’m not sure I would have fun in the NBA. Whatever they want me to do, I’m going to trust my parents enough they’ll make a great decision for me,” Durant said. “I’ll know when they know.”

You have to love this young man’s humility and honesty (he’s still only 18!), and we respect his loyalty to the college experience. Still, we hope he doesn’t get too carried away with it—the right decision is to go pro and become a top-three pick in this year’s NBA draft. No, basketball is not only about money, but how’s he going to feel next year if he suffers a torn ACL injury in a meaningless Big 12 game and jeopardizes his career? How will all these NBA teams tanking their season feel if he’s not there for the taking in June? Okay, obviously we could care less about his NBA suitors, but we sincerely hope to see Durant lacing up his sneaks in an NBA uniform next season.

Speaking of the NBA, three teams were recently fined for disobeying Ween and getting too close to their fantasy. First, Warriors’ head coach Don Nelson’s lips were deemed a little loose by the NBA to the tune of $15k:

The Warriors were fined $15,000 by the NBA last week for remarks by Nelson regarding college basketball stars Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Nelson was asked during pre-game interviews in New York on March 2 about his draft philosophy on big men and superstar players, but the league does not allow teams to comment on those who have not declared for the draft.

The Celtics were docked a cool $30 grand after GM Danny Ainge violated league rules and engaged in “excessive contact” with Durant’s family during the Big 12 tournament:

General manager sat next to Durant’s mother during the Big 12 tournament. The league said Ainge violated rules demanding that contact be kept to a minimum between team executives and potential NBA draft picks, until college players officially declare for the draft.

Finally, SI.com says Michael Jordon cost the Charlotte Bobcats $15k for “public comments regarding Durant in an interview posted on the Charlotte Observer’s Web site on March 14.”

Possibly Related Content:

1. Kevin Durant is Doing Just Fine at Forward


2. Obi-Wan has Taught You Well, Kevin Durant… But You are Not a Jedi Yet


3. Is Kevin Durant a Soon-To-Be Superstar or Overrated?


4. Greg Oden Officially a Trivia Question Answer


5. NBA Front-Row Seat: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Andris Biedrins, and More