NBPA President Derek Fisher determined to get a fair deal for players – NBA News
National Basketball Players Association President Derek Fisher is not going to bow down to the owners in the face of increasing pressure as the season draws closer. In a letter to his fellow players and union members on Monday,
Fisher expressed his resolve to hold firm to the demands, the players think of as fair.
The NBA lockout, which began on July 1 as a result of a labour dispute, took a turn for the worse last Friday. The league announced the cancellation of the NBA training camps, as well as the pre-season games.
With the clock winging down fast, there appears little time left for the NBA owners and players to reach an agreement over the CBA if the season is to be saved. Fisher, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, wants to get out onto
the court as much as anyone, but he was clear in his letter to the players about the situation, and how they cannot allow the pressure to dictate their actions.
"We can't sell ourselves short for instant gratification."
The Lakers point guard pointed to an old sticking point between the NBA players and owners in the letter - the share of Basketball Related Income or BRI. The problem with the BRI isn’t exactly what NBA Commissioner David Stern
wants the media to believe.
Stern says a reduction in player salaries is necessary and shrewdly talks about exact figures rather than percentages. His wants to guarantee players a certain amount of money for the next ten years, and hold them there. Stern
knows that the league is set to embark on huge revenue growth in the next few years, and he has planned to keep the players locked out of all the growth.
Fortunately, the players know this as well, and they are not willing to let Stern have all the money.
"Our game has never been more popular and we're poised to see tremendous revenue growth over the next 5 to 6 years. ... We must share fairly in the continued growth of our business. Any deal that decouples us from a fair share
of the revenue growth in the years ahead is a deal we cannot accept. Period!" said Fisher addressing his fellow players.
Fisher also reminded players in the letter that the final authority over the NBA negotiations rests with them. He expressed a determination to keep up the fight until whenever the players decide it is enough.
"Unless you, the group we represent, tell us otherwise, we are prepared to hold the line for as long as it takes to preserve the system we've worked so hard to build."
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