NBA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES ANNOUNCED

The NBA formally announced its new social media guidelines today, informing teams through a league memorandum that the use of cell phones, PDAs and other electronic communication devices and thus accessing Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites is now prohibited during games for players, coaches and other team personnel involved in the game.

The league has defined "during games" as the period of time beginning 45 minutes before the start of a game and ending "after the postgame locker room is open to the media and coaches and players have first fulfilled their obligation to be available to media attending the game." "During games" also includes halftime, according to the memo.

The announcement also stressed that teams "are free to adopt their own rules relating to the use of electronic communication devices and social media sites and services during practices, meetings and other team events."

- Jason