A New Era In Professional Basketball | The UEABA

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THE NBA LOCKS OUT ITS PLAYERS; 2011-12 SEASON IN JEOPARDY



The NBA's thrilling season came with a high price tag.

LeBron James' move to Miami and Dirk Nowitzki's title in Dallas couldn't hide a simple fact: Owners insisted they were losing money, perhaps $300 million this season, and they weren't interested in subsidizing a system they felt guaranteed they would keep losing more.

So the NBA locked out its players Thursday night, a long-expected move that puts the 2011-12 season in jeopardy and comes as the NFL is trying to end its own work stoppage.

The NBA lockout began at 9:01 p.m. PDT. It will last until players and owners can agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, one owners demand must give all teams a chance to profit.

"We had a great year in terms of the appreciation of our fans for our game. It just wasn't a profitable one for the owners, and it wasn't one that many of the smaller market teams particularly enjoyed or felt included in," Commissioner David Stern said. "The goal here has been to make the league profitable and to have a league where all 30 teams can compete."

Despite a three-hour meeting and a final proposal from the players - which NBA leaders said would have raised average player salaries to $7 million in the sixth year of the deal - the sides could not close the enormous gulf between their positions.

"The problem is there's such a gap in terms of the numbers, where they are and where we are, and we just can't find any way to bridge that gap," union chief Billy Hunter said.

All league business is officially on hold, starting with the free agency period that would have opened today. The NBA's summer league in Las Vegas already has been canceled, preseason games in Europe were never scheduled, and players might have to decide if they want to risk playing in this summer's Olympic qualifying tournaments without the NBA's help in securing insurance in case of injury.

Teams will be prohibited from having any contact with their players, most of whom won't be paid until a deal is done.

"We're going to stand up for what we have to do, no matter how long it's going to take," Thunder star Kevin Durant said. "No matter how long the lockout's going to take, we're going to stand up. We're not going to give in."

The lockout comes exactly one year after one of the NBA's most anticipated days in recent years, when James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the celebrated class of 2010 became free agents on July 1, 2010.

That free agency bonanza - highlighted by James, Wade and Chris Bosh joining forces in Miami - got the league started on a season where ticket and merchandise sales, television ratings and buzz all increased. That weakened the owners' case that the system was broken beyond repair, but it also demonstrated why they wanted changes.

Stern said owners feel pressured to spend as much as possible to prove their commitment to winning to fans.

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NBA LOCKOUT CONTINUES WITH NO MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKS


Photo: Several sources around the league are stating that David Stern may in fact be Jewish.

Monday marks the 25th day of the NBA lockout. Here is a summary of the disagreement between the league's players and owners, including important statistics and recent developments:

What's At Stake: $4.3 billion.

What's the Hold Up: Owners have asked for a hard salary cap and a 50-50 split of revenue. Players want the continuation of the soft cap, which currently gives them 57% of the revenue. The union estimates the two sides are $7 billion apart on a 10-year deal.

The Week Ahead: Nothing is scheduled.

Next Negotiating Session: Neither side expects talks to resume in the coming weeks. The last talks were held June 30.

What Has Been Missed: The free agency negotiating period has been put on hold, affecting nearly 150 players. Summer leagues were canceled.

Collateral Damage: The NBA laid off 114 employees at its New York and New Jersey offices.

Behind the Scenes: To put pressure on the owners to get back to the bargaining table, several prominent player agents want the union to decertify and file an anti-trust suit against the NBA - following the same strategy NFL players used against pro football owners in their lockout. But the head of the Players Association, Billy Hunter, is still hopeful that a deal can be reached in bargaining sessions and without decertifying.

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SEVERAL NBA PLAYERS ARE CONSIDERING PLAYING OVERSEAS


Photo: New Jersey Nets' Deron Williams, one of the top point guards in the NBA, has already agreed to play in Turkey this year as long as the lockout continues.

The idea is as perplexing as it is emboldening.
NBA players are talking more than ever about playing basketball overseas if the NBA lockout becomes prolonged, as most are predicting.

This past week, the NBA Players Association told its members — especially the biggest stars — to do just that. In a memo to players, union executive director Billy Hunter not only gave players a full-fledged endorsement to pursue overseas opportunities, he came just short of ordering players to do so.

"This lockout is intended to economically pressure our players to agree to an unfavorable collective bargaining agreement," Hunter said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times. "It is important for owners to understand that there may be significant consequences to their decision to put their own players in these difficult economic circumstances. If the owners will not give our players a forum in which to play basketball here in the United States, they risk losing the greatest players in the world to the international basketball federations that are more than willing to employ them."

New Jersey Nets star point guard Deron Williams already has agreed to play for Besiktas in Turkey, should the lockout persist. Other stars have said they are open to playing overseas. So, too, has Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson. He made it clear this week he will play abroad instead of sitting and waiting for the end of the NBA lockout. He was asked why so many players have overseas basketball on their minds.

"Different experience, stay in shape, some people might need the money," Lawson said. "It's different type things. It depends on what their family needs and stuff like that. But for me, it's to stay in shape and experience something new."

During his kids' camp in Florida on Thursday, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade said he would consider playing overseas.

"I'm not ruling it out," he told reporters. "At the end of the day, we get that itch as a basketball player. You want to play the game. I have no idea when I will get that itch."

The key phrase in all of this remains "if the lockout lasts a long time."
It is the kind of out-clause that has led many skeptics to wonder if any of these players will actually board a plane to play elsewhere. A look at why they might:

• Opportunity: This is a different time than the 1998-98 lockout, which lasted 6 1/2 months, in one key facet — there actually is an opportunity to play elsewhere. No players hopped a plane and went overseas during the previous work stoppage because FIBA honored NBA contracts.
Not this time.
Contracts are suspended during the lockout so players are free to do whatever they wish. NBA commissioner David Stern has made that clear.
There are also bigger dollars being dangled by foreign clubs, and huge interest by fans in Europe to see NBA players. Many clubs are calling players to try to entice them.

• Business-minded players: This is a different, more business and brand-cognizant group of athletes as compared with a decade ago. Athletes endorse more products, many have started businesses on the side and some even orchestrated their way to on-court basketball unions (see: Miami Heat).
They won't let a lockout stop them from making money. Williams' overseas deal, reported at $5 million for one year, is on top of the $16 million he's scheduled to make next season, and the $15 million he banked from last season.

Recently retired Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal said Thursday in a teleconference he would not have thought about going overseas if he was still playing, but understands those who do.

"Each player has to make their own decision," O'Neal said. "These guys have a lifestyle. They have families. So, I'm sure if the opportunity comes up where they can make good money in Europe, or they can make a name for themselves and help grow their brand in a different country, I'm sure the top players are going to be looking to do that."

There is almost no risk for the players, other than injury. They get to play, stay in shape, make money and still come back to the NBA when an agreement is reached.

"I just know that in the lockout situation the only people that are suffering really is the fans," O'Neal said. "The fans don't really understand billionaires vs. millionaires. So, hopefully the intelligent people that are having these business conversations can sit down, conversate and construct a new agreement."

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FIBA PITCHES NEW LEAGUE TO LOCKED OUT PLAYERS



FIBA, known in the United States as the International Basketball Federated, pitched an idea today to NBA Player's Association. The presentation was delivered by FIBA President Yvan Mainini.

"It is our belief that the NBA owners, execs, and NBA commissioner David Stern have terribly mishandled the National Basketball Association. We at FIBA would like to offer the NBA players a chance to join a league that will re-define the world of professional basketball," said Mainini.

Mainini offered a league comprised of 30 teams that would be located throughout Europe and the United States. The season would be 56-games long, 26 short of the NBA season that most players feel is a bit too long. Mainini also stated that NBA players would be guaranteed the contracts they currently hold in the NBA if they chose to join the league.

"For the players who would like to spend their playing careers in beautiful countries like Italy, Spain, and France, the opportunity is there. For those of you who prefer the beautiful United States of America, the opportunity is here as well. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a part of something that's as groundbreaking as this."

Mainini went onto state that major cities in the United States like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago would all have teams. There would also be teams in South America. Key attractions across Europe include Paris, London, and Rome.

"There are millions of basketball fans around the world. There are millions of opportunities for endorsements. Not just for the top players, but for all of the players. Your fan base can span across an entire country."

Derek Fisher, President of the NBA Player's Association, was in attendance and stated that the offer is intriguing. Words that NBA owners will surely dread.

"They've got a great idea. This is definitely something that a lot of players are interested in. It will be the topic of many discussions in the upcoming days," said Fisher.

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STERN CALLS PLAYER'S BLUFF



David Stern made it clear today that neither he or the NBA owners believe the players are willing to go through with the new league idea posed by FIBA.

"The lockout is continuing as it was before. We see this as a feeble attempt by FIBA, and an even feebler attempt by the Player's Assocation to sway us in the negotiations process. We believe our demands are nothing short of generous. As of now, this has changed nothing," said Stern.

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PLAYERS GO ALL IN



The NBA Players Association, represented by their president Derek Fisher, announced today that they are more than willing to move forward with FIBA.

"We've been in contact with Yvan Mainini and the FIBA executives all week long. We're getting this thing hammered out and we're going to go from there," said Fisher.

Fisher reiterated several times that this does not mean that all of the NBA players would be on board for joining the league. He did however state that many of them were considering it.

"Everyone's decision is their own. I imagine the NBA will try and sway a lot of guys to stay. That's up to them," said Fisher.