After months of waiting, NBA players and owners still can’t decide how the money will be divided, so coliseum doors remain locked. Since the 50/50 split agreement by owners was shot down, 14 key NBA players filed a lawsuit to try to save as many games as possible.
This move might have also given players an advantage in getting what they feel is a better deal. Also, if they waited any longer, courts would’ve surely stepped in, delaying them even longer from getting back to business.
Not all players are guaranteed enough money to keep from having to find a job in the real world when their career ends. Statistically, in the NBA an average player only lasts five years. That is why you see players from every team rallying together to salvage as much money this year as possible.
Players didn’t go out and cancel games, owners did. So, you can’t expect 430+ players to agree to a deal that urges them to take a pay cut, because not everyone makes Lebron James’s and Kobe Bryant’s wages.
Some NBA players are resorting to signing contracts overseas. It gives them an opportunity to keep playing competitive basketball while receiving a consistent paycheck at the same time.
Fans may be unhappy to see their idols leave, but they are only doing what any employee would do when out of work… look elsewhere. This will hurt ticket and merchandise sales, not to mention the countless fans they will lose who tune in from home. Seeing how NBA on TNT has covered more games than any other network on television since 1988, why aren’t they in the discussion for losing money?
As tired as I am of seeing the face of Commissioner David Stern on every report, I believe he wants the season to get underway just not as much as players.
The 2011-2012 season could have been canceled, but Stern repetitively gives player’s more time to agree to his terms. It shows that he bit off more than he can chew when players called his bluff because he didn’t stand behind his word and erase team schedules. The more money and players Stern loses trying to show superiority, the more respect he loses around the league.
Overall I don’t think basketball fans are too concerned about losing the regular season for two reasons. One reason is because everyone doesn’t play defense at 100%, until it’s time to start fighting for a playoff spot.
Winning a world championship or helping your team go deep in the playoffs can help raise a team’s salary cap, and players’ games seem to be brought to the next level. The second reason is college basketball has so much hype. Unlike the NBA, the player’s intensity levels are at a high for 40 minutes making viewing more entertaining.
Both sides need to find a common ground before the season is considered a waste. Since 1984, David Stern has held the reigns, and at times he has been praised for the restoration of the league, but following this season, it’s time to search for a new face.
How about a basketball guru along the lines of Larry Byrd or Magic Johnson? But that might entice Michael Jordan to sell his share of the Charlotte Bobcats, making three fitting front-runners.
