Dwyane Wade defends players in the labour dispute; Says lockout harming Miami Heat – NBA Update
In a recent interview, Dwyane Wade lashed out NBA owners over the labour dispute and said that the lockout was proving harmful to the Miami Heat. The star shooting guard said the players are right to stick to their stance in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and owners should now make some concessions to get a deal done
The NBA lockout is in its 4th month and has already caused a lot of damage to the league and its fan base. More and more fans are becoming disenchanted as the dispute over a new CBA rages on, costing the NBA its training camps, pre-season and 100 regular season games as of now.
As fears grow that more games, or even the entire NBA season, could be lost, so does the anger of a fan base caught up in the middle of the money battle. Ever increasing are the voices, accusing NBA players of being greedy, and calling for them to back down from their demands.
Wade dismissed any such assertion though. He argued that the players had already conceded significant ground and the onus was now on the owners to stop the propaganda and cut a deal.
"Not at one point have we asked for more money," Wade said. "I've heard people say 'The players are being greedy.' How are we being greedy? ... People need to get in a room and understand what really needs to be done so everyone -- not just the owners, not just the players -- can continue to grow with the game. That's where we've got to come to an agreement."
He also expressed an opinion that not all NBA owners were willing to sit out the season, saying that many wanted to get things moving again. Wade said his side, which acquired super stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh last summer, were in a position of strength in NBA, but other franchises didn’t like it and could be dragging out the matter to gain an advantage.
“I'm sure, teams that have an opportunity and feel like they can compete right now, they're ready to go. If 20 other teams don't feel they have that opportunity, they sit on their hands. So it affects the Miami Heat, obviously." The former NBA Finals MVP said.
Wade has been at the forefront of some NBA players, who have become increasingly vocal against the NBA and Commissioner David Stern in the last couple of weeks. The players are frustrated that even after making significant sacrifices they are still being painted as villains while the owners continue to stick to their demands.
Wade even entered a shouting match with David Stern in a negotiation session some time ago and it seems, he is in no mood to back down.
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