NBA Lockout - Owners and Players to meet next week to discuss situation
Recently, the National Basketball Players Association stated that it was ardently pursuing a solution the current lockout situation and painted a picture whereby David Stern and other NBA executives were made to look like arrogant
and money hungry machines. Stern spoke out this week and said that he was willing to do whatever it takes to resolve the issue.
“We're always going to sit down and talk and discuss and probe and prod and ask questions of each other and deal with hypotheticals, so there are many different ways to propose things. So we're not through at all” said NBA Commissioner
David Stern.
It has been reported that the NBA executives are scheduled to meet the players next week. This will only be the second time the two parties will sit down together after the initiation of the lockout on July 1.
"If Labor Day comes and goes without us huddled in ready to kiss off our Labor Day weekend to make this deal, then we may be headed to a bad place," Stern said earlier this month.
If anything, this is a positive step for the league as there is still ample time left in the start of the regular season. A few such meetings are expected to yield effective results and we might end up losing not even a single
game of the season.
Next week’s meeting is expected to feature only the top brass from both parties. The NBA executives will be represented by Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, whereas, the players’ case will be led by
union Executive Director Billy Hunter and President of the union, Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The previous meeting was held on August 1 and Stern was extremely disappointed by the lack of movement shown by the players back then. Stern was so upset that he pressed an unfair labour practice charge with the National Labour
Relations Board and the players had to face a lawsuit the very next day.
After the failed meeting, the players union sat down and Fisher stated that the union hoped to meet the owners at least several times before the end of August. It seems that some progress has finally been made and the next meeting
could very well prove to be the most important in deciding next season’s future.
According to the prevailing popular sentiment, however, it is believed that the league will end up losing games for the second time since its inception. Many are of the opinion that the ‘real’ talks will only begin once the season
approaches and games start getting cancelled.
Whatever the case may be, the fans just want the issue resolved as soon as possible and it is high time the players and the owners start thinking beyond their own thick skins.
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