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The NBA’s locked-out players rejected the league’s latest offer for a new collective bargaining agreement today, with union executive director Billy Hunter calling the proposed deal “extremely unfair.” He said the players’ association is beginning the process of disbanding the union — the first step in filing an antitrust action against the league and sending the whole mess to the courts. It’s the same tactic the NFL’s players used during their lockout over the summer, but this time the move could jeopardize the entire NBA season; already, the league had cut 10 games from the normal season in a revised schedule as the two sides remain far apart in contract talks. It would mean a big hit on ad revenue for ABC/ESPN, TNT/Turner and regional sports networks that hold lucrative TV rights to games. Commissioner David Stern had called the latest labor offer the league’s best, proposing a 50-50 split in revenue between players and owners. He said the next offer on the table will be much less favorable: a 53-47 split in favor of the league.
NBA Players Reject Latest Contract Offer, Plan To Decertify Union; Season In Doubt
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Not being a fan of basketball, this has been a huge gift this year. So, glad to not have programming interrupted by the NBA games.
Agreed, though I wish that ESPN would use the available time to pay more attention to hockey and show more highlights in all sports, rather than to sensationalize the Penn State case, Tim Tebow, NBA Lockout discussions, etc.
+1
Stopped watching NBA years ago, after the end of the Bird/McHale/Ainge dynasty in Boston.
Mainly nothing but highly overpaid thugs and ballhogs today. Meh.
I say get get rid of them all and start over. Plenty of young talent to take their place. Let em move to Europe, Turkey or China…
the NBA is a joke. Who cares, let it die.
Um…
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/14/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-nba-finals-reality-dominate-primetime-week/95496/
The Finals Game 6 got a 9.7 in 18-49. Better than any game in the 2011 World Series. So the NBA is the 2nd most popular pro sports league in the US, and has far more of a worldwide impact that the NFL. That’s a joke? If so, what’s a serious pro sports league? MLS? UFL?
Both sides in this fight have behaved unbelievably stupidly, but that’s like saying that because Democrats and Republicans are stupid, the US is a joke.
Why don’t the players create their own league and fund their own venues and the owners hire players that are willing to accept a dream job for the paltry millions they’re currently paid? Problem solved.
Big B-ball fan here. This news sucks.
The best solution is the league should contract. Almost everyone agrees that the top players (the real audience draw) aren’t paid nearly enough compared to what they are worth. And the problem with the NBA is that there are too many small market teams (who stars don’t want to play for) and they are losing money. So get rid of several of these teams.
Plus, many teams are terribly managed (Clippers, Sacramento, Minnesota, Cleveland, etc.) and lose money because of general stupidity. The league should have the power to buy back money losing teams and resell to owners who have the business acumen to not consistently fuck up.
Fire Stern!
The best part is downtown LA traffic is so much less significant on nights where there should be Clipper and Laker games. ef the Lakers and that wife cheating Kobe anyway. I do feel bad for the workers who count on this money. Perhaps those greedy owners (and players) will help them out…
The NBA is not the NFL… no one gives a rip about basketball
People who don’t watch basketball shouldn’t add their ignorance to this debate. Go watch the Republican debates instead and pretend who has the most informed decision on how to help Americans; and you the viewer can make snarky comments to your ego.
Assuming that the NBA season won’t take place, ABC should consider replacing the NBA with classic (1950′s through 1980′s) episodes from “Wonderful World Of Disney”.
Perhaps one Sunday afternoon, in place of an originally-scheduled doubleheader, they could show all five “Davy Crockett” specials from the 1950′s back-to-back in one afternoon between 1 and 6 Eastern time.
If, as has been claimed, 22 of the NBA’s 30 teams lost money in the 2010/2011 season, might the league’s owners simply decide to “throw in the towel”, dissolve the NBA and thus put it out of business??
Were that to happen, it probably would be between two and five more years (probably closer to five years) before major-league men’s professional basketball returns to North America, probably a smaller league (12 teams??) with a financial model that would insure the owners make a profit.
I think there is a strong chance that within the next few weeks, the National Basketball Association will indeed go out of business. But in a few years, we might see the birth of the New Basketball Association.
As a fan of basketball, and of a team that doesn’t consist of the few that players actually want to go to, I find the player’s argument extremely unsympathetic. If they had it their way, only cities like Los Angeles, Miami and New York would ever compete, leaving the smaller, colder city teams to wallow in the dust and continue to to lose money, as many of them do. And players seem to be awfully confused at the difference between restriction and incentive.
Not to sound callous, but the small market teams, if they can’t make money they should close up shop. Or better yet, the owners should sell instead of whining that they can’t make money. Basketball is the second highest rate sport in the US. Its huge. And fast becoming one of the most popular sports in the world. So the argument that they are losing money is frankly pathetic.
Besides, several small market teams are well run (San Antonio, Salt Lake) and actually make money. The owners should blame themselves for their failures.
The owners screwed up the negotiations. The owners already beat the union and extracted massive concessions. And then they kept asking for more and more. They should have stopped while they were ahead.
Sad day to be a Celtic fan..clock is tickin for our old players..great job
It’s always like this: “We’re offering you this, take it or leave it… we’re won’t budge… blah blah.” There is no conflict resolution going on, only battling over who will sacrifice. Only way it will work is if they negotiate and divide down to the last penny.
How can this be resolved if certain team are earning significantly more than others? Notice Jerry Buss isn’t too concerned or outspoken about any of this? He’s going to make $$$ no matter what and so are the Heat, Knicks, Celtics…
NBA went downhill after Jordan retired and David Stern has been in control waaayyyy too long. Stern knows nothing about being an athlete, owner or commissioner.
@G.Henn:
Some people do not like basketball and they stated their opinion. They’re not trying to insult you personally.
They commented here because they have an opinion on the subject of the article.
Some people may not like the sports I follow. They might think they’re horrible, but it doesn’t get my knickers in a bunch that they feel that way. To each his own.
Take a pill.
This season is officially over and toast as Stern and company need to use this off time now to hammer out a CBA that is going to be fair to both the players and owners…go back to 51-49 in favor of the players and there’s your deal; otherwise, prepare to hep save the 2012-13 season now as this season will be no more. NBA blows!