Antawn Jamison says that this time players are ready for a lockout: NBA Update
Veteran Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Antawn Jamison, who faced a lockout experience, the last time NBA through it in 1998, has claimed that the players are more prepared for the situation this time
"I think in '98-99, we didn't think it would be a long, drawn out process. Just the unity, the guys understanding what we're facing and what we're up against is totally different than what it was when I first got into the league."
This is now the fourth lockout in the history of NBA. The last lockout which lasted for 204 days started from July 1, 1998 and finally ended on January 20, 1999, when National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy
Hunter made an accord with the NBA Commissioner David Stern.
At that point in time, NBA owners were demanding for the same changes as they are doing now - an upper limit on players’ salary. The league lost three months of the regular season in dispute that year, and had to play a 50 game
season.
Jamison however thinks that this time the history will not be repeated as the players, including the superstars, have all stood together and have vowed not to budge in to the owner’s demands.
"You've got the LeBron James and the Dwyane Wades and all those guys who are really taking a stand and being a face of this movement. I think back then we really didn't have the superstars that were together as the superstars are
now. I think it's making a difference." He said.
The 35 year old veteran, who is close to his retirement, has a nearly 13.3 million dollar per year contract with the Cavs. If the next season doesn’t takes place then Jamison will lose a fair chunk of money, but he is ready to
sacrifice it.
Jamison also revealed that with a lockout preventing the players from using franchise facilities, the players association is working to provide players with gyms for work out. The player association saw this day coming a few years
back and had urged the players at that time to start saving their money. The players appear to be totally in sync with their representatives and in the last two meetings with the owners, the union officials were accompanied by many players. Stars like Kevin
Garnett and Kevin Garnett have publically re-iterated the players’ desire to stand together in the face of adversity and Jamison is the latest one to jump on the band wagon.
Still Antawn believes that the lock out situation will adversely affect some players and the pressure will start mounting as this starts to happen.
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