Kevin Durant, Chris Paul call for a fair deal to end the NBA lockout
Two of the biggest names in the NBA, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, have called on the league to end the NBA lockout by agreeing to a deal fair for both sides.
The two super stars did not believe that the NBA was being balanced in its demands and said if they would just also look out for the interests of the players; the labour dispute could come to a swift end.
The young stars were speaking after a charity game in Oklahoma, organized by Durant. The Oklahoma City Thunder star sizzled in the game, recording a triple-double with 42 points, 26 rebounds and 11 assists and led his side to an exciting 176-171 win after the game had gone to overtime.
"We're just trying to work to get a deal done. We're going to continue to keep playing these games and showing the fans that we love the game and we want to play," Durant said.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and the NBA have been negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for over a year and a half now, but have failed to find common ground. The latest round of talks ended on Thursday, when even federal mediator George Cohen could not help end the lockout.
The players though are hanging onto hope, Durant among them.
"Hopefully we get something done."
Chris Paul meanwhile believed that the owners were being selfish in the dispute. NBA Commissioner David Stern has claimed that the league operated at a loss over the last many years and that 22 teams were in the red last year alone.
The owners believe they can only operate profitably if the whole financial structure is revamped, but Paul doesn’t agree with them. He says there are other ways to achieve the mentioned goals, and if the owners were to offer them a fair deal, the players would take it.
"We just want a fair deal. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about," Paul said. "We want a system that works and we want a split that's doable. So, we're not being greedy or anything like that. We just want a fair deal."
The split he referred to is that of the Basketball Related Income. The players were guaranteed 57 percent of the BRI under the previous CBA. This time though, the owners want to bring that down a whole 10 points to 47 percent.
Even after the input from director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, George Cohen, the owners refused to go beyond 50 percent, and therefore talks broke off.
They have set the 50-50 split as a precondition for further talks, and now more games are expected to be lost.
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