Tyson Chandler raring to go on the six-game world exhibition tour: NBA News
Tyson Chandler, the Dallas Mavericks centre who is a free agent this off season, is not sure where he will be playing basketball next season when the league gets back to business. However, he does have his plans charted out for
the next two weeks.
The 29-year-old centre is all set to action with a star-studded cast of NBA players in a six-game global expedition which is expected to initiate on Sunday. The whirlwind adventure of the scheduled exhibition games which will grace
four continents will begin with a game in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday, two games in London, one in Macau and the remaining two games in Australia.
Initially, eighteen NBA players were supposed to participate in six-game tour including some big names from the league. However, the recent reports suggests that LeBron James of Miami Heat, Chris Paul of New Orleans hornets and
Carmelo Anthony of New York Knicks have withdrawn their participation.
Nevertheless, Tyson Chandler is waiting in the wings to appear in the exhibition tour and hopes that it makes to all four scheduled destinations.
"I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been to London and I’ve never been to Australia. I’m looking forward to getting to play again with some great talent and the opportunity to see new lands." Chandler said.
Chandler has spent the lockout playing pickup games in Los Angeles along with different NBA players so far. Considering that the six-game exhibition tour goes ahead as planned, the NBA Champion will be flying for 50 to 60 hours
to log an airtime of more than 26000 air miles.
Tyson Chandler also shared his thoughts on the ongoing lockout, especially on the most recent labour talk between the NBA owners and players association. Tyson believes that the owners are internally divided among themselves which
is keeping the labour dispute from being resolved.
"I really feel it’s up to the owners at this point. We put an incredible deal on the table and they put their deal on the table and said take it or leave it, so we had to leave it. Honestly, I feel like it’s between them. Different
owners want different things. Personally, I believe that within the ranks they have differing opinions, but have to be as one during negotiations.” Chandler said.
For Chandler, the uncertainty is twofold as he is not sure where he will be playing when the NBA lockout is lifted. Although Tyson Chandler indicated that he wants to be back with the Mavs, but given that there are six free agents
that the franchise has to cater for and that too with a harder salary cap under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, his future hangs in a limbo.
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