There could be some interesting language in the contract of an NBA coach. I think the NBA is going to also step in and make it impossible for him to get hired by an NBA team for a few years after The Jilting.
Well, depending on how you look at it, the press conference would qualify as service if he had signed before it. After the conference the Magic sold several hundred season tickets.
– IG
I’m sure that would very much depend on your jurisdiction. However, I know that real estate sale contracts I’ve been involved with always locked in the buyer. The buyer could only back out for cause, showing a “good faith” effort to complete the transaction, otherwise their deposit was subject to seizure. That’s not to say a motivated buyer couldn’t make up cause to back out, but there was definitely no law saying they could back out at any time before the home was transferred.
In Donovan’s case, all they can do is prevent him from coaching a different NBA team for the length of the signed contract, 5 years. I think going the full 5 years is a bit vindictive, considering how quickly he reversed course, the Magic were not exactly harmed terribly much in the process.