After a lengthy negotiating season today, the divide remains between NBA owners and the players union.
During his press conference, David Stern announced the cancellation of the entire preseason (an alleged $200 million loss for owners) and threatened to cancel the first two weeks of the regular season if a deal is not reached by Monday.
So what's the hold-up?
Fisher said the players have agreed to reduce their share of the league’s basketball-related income from 57 percent in the previous collective bargaining agreement to 53. Union executive director Billy Hunter said the owners’ latest proposal has the players receiving 47 percent of the BRI. But Stern said the two sides also discussed a 50-50 revenue split – “a concept, not an offer,” Stern said – that the players didn’t accept.
Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were among the players who attended Tuesday’s meeting. Garnett was extremely emotional in a meeting with players before the full negotiating session, sources said. He rallied the players, who would begin to miss paychecks around Nov. 15, to hold firm on the BRI split.
“The thought among some of the owners is that once the players started missing checks, they would cave,” Hunter said.
Hunter said it would be wrong for the owners to test the players’ resolve.
“Our guys have indicated a willingness to lose games,” Hunter said.
The Celtics are at the center of this labor impasse. Wyc has reportedly been leading the hardline owners. And now Kevin Garnett is firing up the players before the biggest meeting of this entire process.
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