Greenburgh, N.Y. ? Latrell Sprewell was fined $250,000 and told to stay away from the New York Knicks for failing to tell the team he broke his shooting hand two weeks before training camp.

The fine was believed to be the largest ever imposed by an NBA team on a player. Although he was not officially suspended, Sprewell was banished from the Knicks until he can make what team president Scott Layden called “a positive contribution.”

Sprewell underwent surgery last week to repair a broken bone in his hand and will be sidelined at least five more weeks. The Knicks open the season Oct. 30.

The players’ union, which represented Sprewell when he was suspended for 68 games by Golden State in 1997 for choking his coach, said it would file an appeal on Sprewell’s behalf.

Sprewell contends he did not know the severity of the injury until he reported to the team last Monday and had his hand X-rayed. The Knicks initially supported Sprewell’s reasoning, citing his high threshold for pain. But the team reversed course last week and told Sprewell to stay home pending a meeting Monday.

“He’s upset,” said union director Billy Hunter, who received a call from Sprewell minutes after he was informed of the fine. “He feels he’s being scapegoated for the problems that are confronting the Knicks the diminished value of Cablevision stock, the offloading and sale of Cablevision’s assets and resources, the issue of season-ticket holders and the depletion of the 6,000-name waiting list, and the fact that they weren’t able to make significant trades to upgrade the team.”

Sprewell has a history of run-ins, both major and minor, with his employers. His most infamous episode came when he attacked coach P.J. Carlesimo, leading to a suspension that cost him $6.4 million in salary.

After being traded to New York, Sprewell skipped all of training camp in 1999. He also was routinely late, often by a half-hour for home games.

“Frankly, we’ve tried other things and we’re going to try something different this time,” Layden said, trembling as he delivered the news. “He’s a member of this organization and we want to get it right, OK? We have not been able to get it right so far.”

Sprewell left the team’s practice facility without speaking to reporters. He released a statement through his agent, Robert Gist, vowing to appeal the fine.

Because he was not suspended, Sprewell will continue to be paid his full salary of $12.6 million. The collective bargaining agreement allows a team to fine or suspend a player for failing to report an injury.

The largest penalty ever imposed by the NBA was a $500,000 fine against Dallas owner Mark Cuban last season for his criticism of officiating.