Sadly, I don't think there will be a 2011 season unless the players agree to the deal the owners have put forward. The owners will lose money if there isn't a season, but most of the owners were already billionaires before becoming NBA owners, so they will still have plenty of money from other places. They can for the players to eventually come around to the terms. Most players live luxurious lifestyles from their NBA contracts. Unless the players have sponsorship deals, they don't have any other real source of income. The players are trying to scare owners by saying they'll go overseas, but they'll be making much less than they do in the nba. It's only a matter of time before the players realize they just can't win, however it may take a while for that to happen because they will still have money to live off of for a while. All of this could possibly result in no 2011 season depending on how it takes for the player to agree. The owner's hold all the cards.
Players have no risk or invested money. I am for the owners on this one. On the other hand, they are both overpaid. Just give me basketball damnitt!
teams are losing money and the players want more? if they had their way most nba teams would fold and those players would be out of a job. when will the players realize that their pay is directly related to the success of the league? whats good for the nba is good for the players.
No NBA season? I could totally see it. The players have a ton of leverage. The NFL is full of lower-level guys on smaller salaries, their careers are fleeting. In the NBA, everything is guaranteed. NBA players are positioned well to negotiate. The lower tier contract guys have little voice. And Stern... he is power hungry and stubborn. And the owners, well, you actually have some that are in a pickle. Then again, nobody puts a gun to their heads and says hey, sign Stromile Swift to the full MLE. So its kind of on them. I'd put it at a 30% chance there's no NBA season. The league wont recover for a long time.
In before the Captain Obvious jokes. -Seriously though, you have 3 real comparisons to make with three different conclusions - NFL 2011 Lockout - Season starts on time - Annoying for the fans, some minor tweaks to current deal, however, season starting on time, fans will forgive. The only losers in this deal were incoming Rookies... and who really cares about them? NHL 2004/2005 Lockout - Lost entire season - Owners say it was the best thing that happened to their sport, however the sport never regained its popularity, and has been reduced to TV deals on networks nobody watches. NBA 90's Lockout - Shortened Season - What good came of this? Bird Right, League minimums raised, etc. However damaged brand of basketball that suffered record lows until the mid 2000's when ratings grew. -My guess would be the third option. The owners would like have a win like the NHL lockout, but I believe Stern knows this will kill the growth of his brand despite the benefit it will have with the owners. Im expecting Stern to push for negotiations to start up later this summer, to try and start the season before the end of football season. If they can get the season started around Thanksgiving, then thats pretty optimistic. The end of December is pretty realistic. But you know what, the casual NBA fan is watching NFL up until then anyways, so the damage will be well worth it for a shortened season.
Someone needs to start a thread about the lock-out and whether or not it might lead to the cancelation of the season.
I think the pressure has increased on both sides to get something done before the preseason. The NFL got it done so there will be quite a backlash by fans if the NBA doesn't do the same.
A lot of the "billionaire" owners are heavily leveraged, particularly the small market owners. Did this need a new thread?
I just wish there was a mass threat of boycott. International boycott. Here are our demands: 1) Players give up money. 2) Owners give up money. 3) Lockout is over. 4) Kick David Stern's ass out of office immediately.
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