Sneakers

A basketball "fan" told us a "story" regarding Nike and basketball shoes or sneakers.  It seemed somewhat backward or "sideways".

Of the "alleged" details, here are 2 or 3:

• The NBA required "player's" "shoes" to be "half white".
• Nike and Michael Jordan "joined forces" in "shoes".
• One or the other or both "wished" a pair of red "shoes".

The "penalty" for "pure shoes" of any "non-half white" color was $5000.00 per game.  Nike was "more than happy" to pay said "fine" in perpetuity.

We have questions:

• Is a "rule" really a "rule" if it can be circumvented by paying a "fine" indefinitely?
• Is a "penalty" really a "penalty" if it has "little to no" effect?
• Should the "rule" have actually been to pay $5000.00 a game for no other reason than to wear "whatever shoes" a player "wished"?

Does any part of that make "no sense" or backward "sense"?