New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire says the option of a new league is still open – NBA news
NBA super star Amar’e Stoudemire made some waves a little while ago when he suggested the players could start a league of their own if the NBA intended to lock them out for a year or two. The player sat down for an interview recently
and reiterated the option is still on the table.
The NBA lockout has dragged on for almost 4 months now as the owner and the National Basketball Players Association scuffle over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Some quarters, including David Stern, have said that if things
are not resolved quickly, the NBA might be gone for up to 2 years.
Stoudemire had earlier said that it wasn’t an option for the players to sit two years out, and that they would consider starting their own league if the lockout were to drag on that long. The New York Knicks forward still stands
by his remarks, and said it was a responsibility of the players to create business being lost through the lockout.
“Absolutely. That's definitely what we should think about. If we're going to be locked out for a year or two, then the next situation for us is to try to start our own league, and to apply these jobs to the ones that everyone's
missing out on, and to create these jobs for them.” Stoudemire told the Huffington Post.
Stoudemire, who had earlier suggested that talks in this regard had been held within the players union, wasn’t keen on discussing the details at this point. He said the players remained committed to the ongoing negotiations with
league owners, and believed they had to wait for a conclusion before deciding on drastic measures such as the new league.
“Well, we've got to figure out what's going on with the actual lockout, and what the next steps are, and how long we're going to be locked out for. So ...”
When pressed to suggest how long does he think that will be for, Stoudemire refused to commit. He said it wasn’t in his hands to decide these matters, so he could only hope for a hurried compromise.
“I don't know exactly how long it will go, but hopefully it will get resolved sooner than later. That's what we are hoping for.”
The Knicks forward, who only joined New York last summer, has been one of the stars most vocal about the NBA lockout. Most NBA players have tried to keep the issue in the spotlight and have talked to the media regarding the matter
in interviews after pro-am games, charity events and even during other public appearances.
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