Kevin Love and Blake Griffin disappointed with the NBA Lockout – NBA Labour Dispute News
NBA All-Stars Kevin Love and teen sensation Blake Griffin spoke on Friday, October 15, of their dismay at the continuing NBA lockout. The lockout began on July 1st as a result of a labour dispute and the two young stars
say they are frustrated with the lack of progress so far.
Griffin and Blake are two of the most promising young players in the league. Blake, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, won the Rookie of the Year award last season for his scintillating displays and Love established himself
as a premier big with the league’s rebounding title.
The Minnesota Timberwolves talisman admitted that the NBA labour dispute seemed pretty scandalous, seen from the perspective of the fans, and also the fact that it frustrates him a lot.
"It's hard to pick a side when it's billionaires fighting against millionaires," conceded Love according to ESPN. "I mean, it's no secret that's what's going on here. I think in any lockout, people are gonna be disheartened in
that way, because that is the case."
NBA fans are surely losing patience with the players as well as the owners. The two sides are embroiled in the dispute over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Even in the fourth month of negotiations, the two parties
differ on many issues and are nowhere close to resolving them. The NBA Commissioner David Stern cancelled 100 regular season games last Monday and there are chances that if a breakthrough is not achieved on Tuesday, the whole of NBA season will be lost.
Blake sympathized with the fans and said the players held the fans as the most important cog in the NBA machine. It was just disheartening that everyone had to go through this.
"It's disappointing we can't be out there playing," said Griffin. "We're nothing without our fans. The fans make the game and we want to be out there playing for them."
Love also stressed the importance of fans for players. NBA franchises are more or less business operations these days, with wealthy owners and players making bucket loads of money through the league. However it is the fans who
pay that money, buy the shirts and watch the games.
The fans are the beating heart of the NBA and Kevin Love said he understood that.
"They're what drives us and who we play for," added Love. "We really enjoy and love our fans, and they're why we do what we do."
It is not clear for how much more the NBA fans will tolerate the behaviour of owners and players, or how many have already become enchanted.
The NBA saw record revenue and unmatched TV ratings last season as popularity soared. However, with such childish mongering over money, it might not see that level of enthusiasm again.
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