NBA Will Lose Games If No Deal By Monday
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7059973/nba-labor-first-two-weeks-season-canceled-no-deal-monday-david-stern-says (ESPN)
The NBA has already lost the entire pre-season and an estimated $200 million from those games. If a deal isn’t reached by Monday, the NBA will be in jeopardy of losing regular season games. NBA commissioner David Stern reiterated today that the owners and players are much further apart then they were in 1999, when the league played just 52 games. The 1999 season was the only time the National Basketball Association lost regular season games in its history. Monday will mark the second time the NBA will lose games if both sides can’t agree upon a deal. The players are said to be in “no rush to strike a deal just to get back onto the court.” It is statements like these that will cost the NBA fans, as it did in 1999. The league was just getting back to elite status last season, drawing the most fans since 1998 when Michael Jordan and company were running the show.
The owners need to understand, and quickly, that they don’t play the game. They aren’t the ones putting fans in the seats. Most owners from other professional sports will tell you they understand they’re going to lose some money over the long haul, to afford the contracts of these modern day athletes. However, the owners are stubborn and seem to not want to give an inch. Therefore, the players will not lace them up until one side or the other relents. I have a feeling it is not going to be the players. We’ll keep you posted in the coming days.
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