Jay-Z Fined $50k For Making Kentucky Freshmen's Dreams Come True

ESPN's Marc Stein reports that the NBA has fined the New Jersey Nets $50k for Jay-Z's visit to the Kentucky Wildcats locker room.

After Kentucky defeated North Carolina in the Elite Eight, the Jigga Man decided to survey his kingdom—the game was in Newark—and wished to talk to some of his subjects. This all started happily enough, reports the Louisville Courier-Journal:

"That in itself was a pretty nice experience to add on to (the Final Four)," Darius Miller said. "Going to the Final Four (is bigger) by far. But still, Jay-Z. It's crazy. This whole day has been crazy. I'm still taking it all in." [...] "I said, ‘Oh that's Jay-Z!'" forward Terrence Jones said. "We all gave him a handshake and he came in the locker room, and we just kept screaming ‘Jay-Z in the locker room!' He congratulated us, just said he was proud of us."

But apparently that constitutes contact with players who still have remaining NCAA eligibility. ("Do not bark up that tree, that tree will fall on you. I don't know why your advisors ain't forewarn you.") And that's exactly the kind of thing that got Danny Ainge fined $30k in 2007.

Sources: Nets, Jay-Z fined $50,000 [ESPN] NCAA Notebook | Rap mogul Jay-Z gets backstage pass to Kentucky's locker room [Courier-Journal]