Lockout talks receive a major setback - NBA players and owners show pessimism after latest meeting
The NBA owners and players met again on Tuesday for the third time in two weeks but it is believed they failed to make any headway regarding the labour negotiations. Both sides gave a pessimistic outlook to the press after the
meeting with their comments underlined with a hint of anger.
The NBA owners and players have been jousting over a new CBA for more than a year now. The old one expired and a lockout was imposed on July 1st. The league and the players though refused to show any flexibility in their
stances and held just 2 meetings in the next two months.
When whispers had started in various quarters about the threat to an NBA season 2011-2012, the two sides decided t sit down once more at the negotiating table. After discussions were held on back to back days last week, Tuesday’s
meeting was believed to be an important one that would give an indication as to where the lockout was headed.
After the meeting though it is safe to say that the NBA lockout is not going anywhere any time soon. Both sides went into the sides with a lot of hope but came out with a look of pessimism and struggled to give the situation a
positive spin in front of the press.
National Basketball Players Association President Derek Fisher pretty much conceded that the start of the season will not be on time. Training camps are scheduled to begin on October 3 and Los Angeles Lakers guard Fisher said it
is hard to see how a deal would be reached by then,
"I think coming out of today, obviously because of the calendar, we can't come out of here feeling as though training camps and the season is going to start on time at this point," President Derek Fisher said after the meeting.
NBA Commissioner David Stern is known for his media savvy and he has often taken the platform to launch a verbal volley at the players during the last two and a half months. Stern was as diplomatic as ever but admitted that the
meeting failed to meet expectations.
"Well, we did not have a great day, I think it's fair to say that," Commissioner David Stern said. "On the other hand, we did say that it is our collective task to decide what we want on the one hand on each side, and two, what
each side needs if we choose to work ourselves in such a way as to have the season start on time. That's still our goal."
The owners and players decided not to meet again on Wednesday and no further meetings are scheduled at this point in time.
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