I'm not going to allow optimism to creep in now after so many disappointments. When an agreement is announced and Stern gives a start date to the regular season, I'll let my guard down.
WallaceHeatNBA Michael Wallace Chatter in NY is sides inching close 2deal. So who gets sick&leaves, & who kicks down door 2 disrupt progress this time?
Well, yeah, if you have a player like Durant or Rose, you can win with a smaller budget. That doesn't, however, undermine the owner's position, because there are only a few players like that in the league.
If true and something is announced, then the debate will be which side gave in the most and why didn't they do it earlier, etc. Then again, I'm sure something will happen to derail talks again.
Not something, but someone. Gilbert has a personal vendetta against the Union and is one of the owners hell bent on breaking them. He's had it out for the players ever since LeBron dumped him and publicly humiliated him on national television last year. He wants to make sure players like LeBron miss game checks.
alanhahn Alan Hahn Both teams blazed hard. RT @russbengtson: Can't Rasheed Wallace just send a whole mess of weed to the NBA negotiating room? :grin:
It undermines the position that equalizing spending will create parity. You will never have parity in a league like the NBA, due to the limited amount of superstar players.
NYPost_Berman Marc Berman by sam_amick Small meeting includes Silver, Dolan, Stern Holt, Taylor, Rube for owners. Hunter, Fisher, Klempner, Evans, Murphy for union
Don't get your hopes up. Remember last week? People kept reporting deal was close but one person crashed the meeting and went back to square one. It just takes one person to screw things up.
SportsLawGuy Gabe Feldman by sam_amick Current NBA lockout is the 5th longest work stoppage in US pro sports history. All of the top 5 have happened since 1994.
What's the difference? The Lakers and Rockets will never have an equal opportunity as long as they have a Kobe type player on their roster and we don't. Following the Rockets over the past few seasons is a clear indication of that. Stern's talk of equal opportunity and parity is a front for salary restriction. It's not what you spend, but how you spend and more importantly, how you draft.
Look in the dictionary to understand the difference between parity and equal opportunity. I don't see what's so difficult. Obviously how wisely a team spends and how they draft is important, but how much is also important. Teams that can spend way more than others have a huge competitive advantage and can overcome mistakes faster than low revenue teams.
The article seems just as disingenuous as Stern's claim by not mentioning Rookie salaries being a driving force for the Bulls/Thunder success with low salaries. And I did not know that Detroit and Miami were considered small market teams. Learn something new (well, not quite every day.)
Stern is pushing for equal opportunity (financially) to create parity. At least that is part of what he is selling, and it's BS. So again, what's the difference? I don't see what's so difficult. Competitive balance is not the goal, and that's something that will never be achieved in a league where 1 player has such a big impact. Maximizing profits is the goal. What support do you have for this? Why aren't the Knicks competitive, for example? As the writer stated: He also had support for that conclusion.
