clarinews@clarinet.com (01/12/90)
NEW YORK (UPI) -- Mark Jackson of the New York Knicks and Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers were fined $5,000 Thursday by NBA Commissioner David Stern for making an ``informal wager'' with one another. The two were reported in Thursday's edition of the New York Post to have a running wager of $500 on the player who makes the big play in each of the Knicks-Sixers games during the season. ``While I am persuaded that there was nothing more going on here than some verbal jockeying between two friendly rivals,'' Stern said in a statement, ``it is my responsibility to make it plain to Messrs. Barkley and Jackson, and everyone else in the NBA, that on the subject of gambling, even the slightest appearance of impropriety is a serious matter.'' The two players met with Stern in his New York office to discuss the matter. Barkley sank a 12-foot jumper with two seconds left Wednesday to lift the Sixers to a 113-111 victory over New York. Jackson, who has been in a shooting slump much of the season, scored 33 points in the loss. In the story in the Post, both players admitted to having bet on their performances in last year's playoffs, won by the Knicks in three games. But Jackson said the two were even after Wednesday night's game because Barkley had not paid off the bet from last year.