As the NBA lockout officially entered it’s first month of existence yesterday, both sides in the disagreement agreed to meet and have a discussion on some hopeful progress Monday afternoon.
San Antonio Spurs owner and head of the labor negotiating committee Peter Holt was present for the meeting, but afterward, Players Union president Derrick Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers said talks were only good for setting up more meetings. Very little has changed from both sides.
“It’s a tough position to be in,” Fisher said. “I think Peter Holt [San Antonio Spurs owner and head of the labor negotiating committee], Glen Taylor [board of governors chairman and Minnesota Timberwolves owner), Commissioner Stern, Adam Silver [deputy commissioner] are articulating certain things in the room, expressing their desire to get a deal done, but where their proposal lies makes it hard to believe that.”
“So we’re continuing to try to work around what’s been said and really focus on the deal on the table, and right now we’re still a very, very long way from getting a deal done.”
And just when it couldn’t get worse, it did. Today, the NBA sued the players union:
The NBA filed two claims today against the National Basketball Players Association: an unfair labor practice charge before the National Labor Relations Board, and a lawsuit in federal district court in New York. The unfair labor practice charge asserts that the Players Association has failed to bargain in good faith by virtue of its unlawful threats to commence a sham “decertification” and an antitrust lawsuit challenging the NBA’s lockout. The federal lawsuit seeks to establish, among other things, that the NBA’s lockout does not violate federal antitrust laws and that if the Players Association’s “decertification” were found to be lawful, all existing player contracts would become void and unenforceable.
Good times huh?
The NFL was recently able to salvage it’s season as their organization just ended their own lockout. The matters in the NBA and NFL lockouts are very, very different. With players threatening to flee overseas if the lockout eats into the season, and owners putting up a “we won’t settle” fight, it’s looking more and more like there won’t be a 2011-12′ basketball season.
The NFL is currently in their training camps, we can only hope the NBA can say the same come September.
(Photo: SportsBuisnessDaily.com)
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