ATLANTA — Hawks owner Michael Gearon was fined $25,000 Thursday for making comments that violated the NBA's anti-tampering rules.

The fine was announced by Joel Litvin, the president of league and basketball operations, and was the third handed down in recent days for violation of the rules.

Gearon was fined for comments that appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on May 19, when he said he'd be willing to subject the team to the luxury tax if it could sign Cleveland's LeBron James to a maximum contract. Gearon also discussed Miami's Jermaine O'Neal and Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the interview.

Teams are not allowed to talk about players on other teams until free agency opens July 1.

Dallas owner Mark Cuban was fined $100,000 on Saturday and Phoenix Suns president Steve Kerr $10,000 for public comments they made, both about James.