Stern not thrilled with James' ESPN event

NBA commissioner David Stern congratulated LeBron James on his decision. He just wishes it came without "The Decision."

Stern said Monday he would have advised James to tell the Cleveland Cavaliers of his choice to leave for the Miami Heat earlier than he did, and that the two-time MVP's public announcement shouldn't have come in a made-for-television special that attracted nearly 10 million viewers.

The commissioner said James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh violated no league rules in discussing free agency among themselves, and that the league isn't investigating how the Heat managed to land all three. That doesn't mean Stern didn't take issue with certain elements of free agency, particularly James' decision to say he was leaving Cleveland on ESPN.

"The advice that he received on this was poor," Stern said after NBA owners met in Las Vegas. "The performance was fine. His honesty and his integrity, I think, shined through. But this decision was ill-conceived."

Meanwhile, Stern also took action against Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, fining him $100,000 for words that the commissioner described as "a little bit extreme."

Gilbert released a sharp-tongued statement shortly after James' announcement last Thursday, calling it "narcissistic" and "cowardly behavior." Later, Gilbert told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he felt James quit on the Cavs during the playoffs the past two years.

After harsh comments from the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Sunday, Gilbert responded Monday.

"I strongly disagree with Rev. Jesse Jackson's recent comments and we are not going to engage in any related discussion on it," Gilbert said. "Going forward, we're very excited about the Cavaliers and the positive future of our region."

Mural down: LeBron James has left the building.

Workers have finished removing a gigantic Nike banner featuring James, a sign that hung on the side of a downtown office building for years and served as a background for the Cleveland Cavaliers' success during the seven years he played for them.

Around the horn: Point guard Derek Fisher said he'll re-sign with the Lakers, sticking with Kobe Bryant and the defending two-time NBA champions after speaking with several teams as a free agent. "At the end of the day, there's one person I could not turn away from," Fisher said. "Kobe Bryant asked me to stay but supported whatever decision I made. He and I have played together for 11 seasons, came into the league together as kids, and has been loyal to me even when others had doubts." ... Udonis Haslem (10.0 points, 8.1 rebounds in seven seasons with Miami) signed a five-year deal with the Heat worth around $20 million, roughly $14 million less than he could have received if he accepted more lucrative offers from the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets. "I would be changing my DNA if I left just for money," Haslem said. ... The Magic agreed to a deal with free agent Quentin Richardson. ... The Minnesota Timberwolves signed first-round draft picks Wesley Johnson and Lazar Hayward. Minnesota also signed free-agent center Darko Milicic (MIL-ih-chitsch).