HoopsHype.com Rumors

The wife of Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon testified Tuesday that she knew nothing about violence in the past of a nanny who worked for her and said she would not have hired her if she had known. Bui Simon said that she never heard of that allegation against Claudia Liete until after she had fired her in a dispute and the nanny sued the couple for wrongful dismissal. Oklahoman

Indiana Pacers, Law, Herb Simon 

A nanny who worked for Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon and his wife testified in a wrongful-firing case Monday that the couple knew of her tumultuous life, court cases against her and a brief stint in jail but decided to keep her on their staff. Claudia Liete claims the Simons fired her in February 2010 when they found out she was pregnant and they failed to pay wages that were due to her. She's seeking compensatory and punitive damages but has not specified an amount. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Indiana Pacers, Law, Herb Simon 

The Simons contend they fired Liete because she was in conflict with another member of the household staff and caused dissension in the home, according to their attorney. They claim they never knew about her history of violent episodes until she sued. Liete testified that Simon's wife, Bui, said she didn't care about problems the nanny was having with boyfriends and a husband, and that Herb Simon once told her during a conversation about the problems: "Bad boyfriends, bad boyfriends, Claudia." Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Indiana Pacers, Law, Herb Simon 

LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the Heat. Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. Deron Williams to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. Dwight Howard threatening to leave Orlando. Leaving Cleveland, Toronto, Denver, Utah and Orlando to wonder how they can compete -- much less survive -- in a league that gets top-heavier each passing month. "I'm a little concerned about the gravitation away from the smaller teams,'' Simon said. "If Green Bay can win (an NFL) championship with 100,000 population, then we should be able to win a championship, too.'' Indianapolis Star

Indiana Pacers, CBA, Lockout, NBPA, Herb Simon 

But the NBA has to put a brake to this trend, before the league becomes a collection of four or five super teams and 25 others that have absolutely no hope to compete for titles. "We need to even the playing field and do something about the disparity in revenues,'' Simon said. "It shouldn't be only the large markets who win championships. So I think the owners are very united on the tack we want to take to make the system fairer for everybody.'' Indianapolis Star

Indiana Pacers, CBA, Lockout, NBPA, Herb Simon 

This was the owner's call, pure and simple. This was Herb Simon rolling into team president Larry Bird's office last week and telling the Hoosier legend that a head coaching change must be made. The Indiana Pacers will try to sell it otherwise, and even Bird tried to sell it Sunday afternoon as his decision, but that's a complete fabrication. Simon wanted coach Jim O'Brien gone after the team's winless West Coast trip, and when that didn't happen, Simon insisted upon O'Brien's ouster after Wednesday's miserable home performance against Orlando. Indianapolis Star

Indiana Pacers, Coaching, Jim O'Brien, Frank Vogel, Herb Simon