Hey don't just piss on Hunter or Fisher, Stern is as guilty as anyone. He's the commish it's his job to make sure a deal is worked out and he failed.
One for sure was that the NBA inserted a clause that teams could send down two players to the NBDL and cut their salary to a prorated $750K for the time they were down there. Stern is spinning the last proposal as not having rollbacks...but the 10% escrow (plus a clause that forfeits back to owners the 1% BRI earmarked for pension) if the salaries exceed 50% is essentially a rollback if it's guaranteed to happen. Going from 57% BRI to 50% (a 12% drop) with players still holding onto existing contracts can only be made up two ways: current free agents get screwed, and the next season's escrow is (mostly) forfeited by the players. Players also didn't like the hampered MLE (only $2.5M for teams in the lux tax). Ultimately, all sides are to blame. Owners got their cake (50% split) and wanted to eat it too (system issues)....players are flipping over the table instead of counter-proposing when the owners' biggest concern (50% split) had been satisfied. Neither side has put saving the season up as a priority. Both are selfishly letting it burn.
Not siding with Hunter or Fisher or Stern. But I do side with players and owners who just want a deal worked out.
He's a former NFL player who later went to law school, was a federal prosecutor and became NBPA Executive Director about 15 years ago.
The owner bought the land, built the building, staffed the front and created a great cake. Damn straight they get to eat it too.
After punching my keyboard in fury every time a deal didn't get done, it's gotten to the point where I'm not too distraught about this likelier-than-ever scenario of no season. Even if we had a season it would suck with shortened training camp, all those games being crammed together, and our Rockets probably getting even more injured than ever because of it. Bring on that weighted lotto system that might make that Knicks' pick gold and get us back into contention again. (Well not TOO high quality gold since it's top 5 protected, but you know, 6-10 range gold). :grin:
Hardly. Typically the owner gets the tax payer (state/city/county) to donate the land, and pay for most of the building. Then we get to see our taxes go up while the (state/city/county) is near bankruptcy. The owner then either choose to play to win (Cuban) or to maximize profit (see Donald Sterling) without regard to the fans. Fortunately for us, I'd argue that Les plays to win. The fans get to pay thru the nose for tickets, parking, food, drink and sometimes PSLs (NFL). The owners do have a LOT of money tied up in buying the franchise, and in paying salaries. The players $'s are all guaranteed whether they play hard (like most) or start to get fat and/or suck (Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis...Shawn Kemp if you wanna go way back). I liked the owners idea of being able to send BUSTS down to the NBADL and dropping their salaries to "only" $750K until they prove they can play. Personally, I can live with a year of focus on college hoops again. Let's see how long it is before NBA players talk about not being able to feed their families on only 50% of the pie...but then need to declare bankruptcy now that the paychecks have ended altogether.
I get your point, but my point, and sticking with the analogy: players are the ingredients in the cake of basketball...just ingredients. Anyway, I live in a small college town...about time I got interested in NTU Basketball! GO EAGLES!
Is this even possible? I'm confused as to what the courts can actually force the owners to do once the players decertify- what has to happen to get something like this done? I'm not saying the NBA is complete trash as is, but I'd prefer something like what you suggest for a number of reasons, even if it takes missing multiple seasons. But what has to happen? It sounds as if the players can use the legal system to force the owners into an agreement they don't actually agree to?
^To be honest, I'm not sure...that was just my frustration speaking. And I'm not sure what would happen to the current NBA contracts. They would probably go to court and it all depends on the wording or loopholes as to are the owner's on the hook to pay them. In a way it would be interesting - less selfish play, more parity. And it may not be as bad as you might think since all would be on the same playing field. No Ferrari vs Camaro. It would be Camaro vs Mustang vs Challenger. Give the fans a break on prices (tickets and concessions) and I think you'd have a win/win situation - except for the current players which would have to go overseas (missing/moving their family) or come back for a fraction of the money. There is one bad thing that could and probably would happen...the current NBA studs form an alliance and sign to 1 or maybe 2 teams for $1 million and totally destroy the rest of the new league...payback...
This is gonna be ugly now. The way Stern talked about players and the union - it is just bad. Hopefully NBA can recover from that but it will be difficult. Stern and Hunter should be gone after this all ends to heal all that situation IMO
I don't think the owners want a fair deal. And I mean fair in the sense that one the players will readily accept without the pain of having months of no paycheck. It's pretty clear the majority of the owners want to make sure this new CBA sets a precedence that keep the salaries from going out of control. And they are winning. I honestly believe these owners would be willing to risk another NHL scenario if it means long term cost control.
My understanding is it accomplishes the same thing but happens instantly since the union is voluntarily dissolving itself.
