NBA lockout will get uglier with the passage of time: NBA Update
The National Basketball Association eventually locked out the players on Friday midnight. Many believe that this is just a start and things might get real ugly with the passage of time. As far as those who still consider National
Football League lockout the worse, will soon be proven wrong.
It is expected that this lockout would stretch over many, many months and most probably the next National Basketball Association season would not take place. As Ray Allen was among such players, who had said it before time that
games would be lost.
The major reason behind players and union representatives is that there is a huge a gap the association and the franchise owners. However, at this stage what is different from NFL is that the NBA owners didn’t say that they don’t
give a d**n about the season, even if the entire season wouldn’t takes place.
As far as players’ side is concerned, they are firm on their stance, as Kevin Durant another representative of the union said in his emotionally charged statement that they are not going to bow down this time, no matter how long
it will take them to turn things around in their favour.
Durant also added that the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement was working fine for them and they don’t want any change in it. Owners should listen to what the players are trying to convey them and should respect their stand
as they have represented them in the best way they could.
Veteran Antawn Jamison also described the determination he witnessed, saying that this time the players are ready for the lockout because as compared to the 1998 lockout the players are united from a rookie to a star. The association
has also taken steps in this regard, as they are building new gyms all around the country for the players so they can work out there during the lockout, plus for past two three years union had made a strong move regarding the savings in order to survive the
bad time.
Previously, Shane Battier the Memphis Grizzlies forward grabbed a lot of attention when he asked union president Billy Hunter that if he was prepared to receive salary deduction.
According to NBA analyst Kurt Helin, “What this really shows is this—as this lockout drags on, the players will start to question their leadership and the deal being driven. Right now the players are unified, that may not always
be the case, especially if pay checks are missed.
The same is true of the owners, where issues of revenue sharing have already showed a divide.
That is why Hunter and Stern are the key figures in this—they are the leaders that have to keep their troops in line. Whichever side splinters first will end up being the losers in these negotiations.”
However, only the time will tell who would stay firm, until then the league will face work stoppage.
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