Kevin Garnett’s presence set the negotiation process backwards: NBA Lockout News
Just at the time when the hopes of the NBA fans were rekindled following the developments in the meetings under the federal mediator George Cohen, owners privately insists that Kevin Garnett’s arrival in the negotiation has pushed
the process backwards once again.
Both the parties were engaged in talks for months since the NBA lockout took its first breath on 1st of July. During the whole time, progress has been the only think out of sight in the presence of a group of people
trying to resolve the labour dispute.
However when there was a feeling that the traditions of no progress will change, it seems like Kevin Garnett’s presence had a negative impact on the negotiations. One of the NBA official also declared that the league was making
progress to end the lockout but Kevin Garnett’s expletive disturbed everything.
The sources have also supported the argument that Kevin Garnett’s arrival has heightened tension with the NBA owners."The owners knew it wouldn't go well when Garnett started glowering across the table, like the league lawyers,
owners and officials were opponents at the centre jump. He was defiant, determined and downright ornery. He was KG."
The situation has definitely gone worse as improving the relationship between both the parties is now going to be another task alongside a number of earlier lined-up issues. One of the writers Adrian Wojanrowski, who is covering
the whole issue very closely, discussed the sensitivity of the situation with the arrival of Boston Celtics veteran Kevin Garnett into the negotiation process
"This fight has grown nastier, more personal, in the past weeks. Privately, management insists that everything changed when the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett walked into the negotiating room on Oct. 4.” Adrian wrote.
In this situation, the only thing that will take place is more cancelled games as the NBA commissionaire David Stern has already threatened to do so if NBA owners and players union fails to resolve the labour dispute soon.
Considering the sensitivity of the situation, even if the union decides to keep Garnett out of the meeting, the major issue of dividing Basketball Related Income (BRI) remains the same which is the main reason of the lockout entering
in its fourth month. Claiming that they have been bearing heavy losses for quite a while, the NBA owners wanted to increase their percentage revenue to a greater extent and impose a hard salary cap which hampered the new Collective Bargaining Agreement from
taking place. On the other hand, it was totally unacceptable for the players to forfeit everything and give owners the whole advantage.
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