NBA Notes: Union says stoppage is possible next year The Associated Press Expressing pessimism after reviewing NBA owners' initial collective bargaining proposal, the director of the players' union said Monday the league could be heading toward a work stoppage at the conclusion of the 2004-05 season. Union director Billy Hunter addressed several dozen players at the union's annual meeting in Las Vegas during a session devoted mainly to labor issues. His message was that history could very well repeat itself, with a distinct possibility there could be a lockout next summer. "We don't come to this process as neophytes. We don't have the same kind of naivety that we had before," Hunter told The Associated Press. "If the owners are not inclined to retreat from their current proposal, there's a high probability there can be another lockout." Union members say the league has asked for numerous concessions in an initial proposal presented during two preliminary bargaining sessions held after the All-Star break. Owners are seeking a four-year maximum length for any contract, higher luxury tax rates for the clubs with the largest payrolls and lower thresholds to trigger the luxury and escrow taxes. http://166.70.44.66/2004/Jun/06292004/sports/179628.asp
