HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The calendar can be a cruel reminder sometimes.
This was supposed to be Opening Night around the NBA. The games were going to tip off and we’d dive back into the NBA season like we always do this time of year, enjoying the last few hours of the “offseason” before getting into the ritual that is the eight-month odyssey of the NBA season.
We’ve held off on the pity party around here the past few weeks, knowing full well that there was chance we’d wake up this morning to a lockout that apparently knows no end. Worst of all is the memories we have from a fantastic 2010-11 season and a splendid playoff run, one spent chronicling the every move of the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. As my man Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News points out, ring night for the reigning champion will have to wait:
Seven diamonds. One for each road victory that the Mavericks had in their championship run — shaped in a heart to signify their singular resolve.
Four blue sapphires, representing the four close-out games that they won without ever losing a potential playoff series ender.
Something snappy written in gold. Like maybe, ‘Perseverance.’ Or, ‘Grit.’
Or maybe just: We Are The Champions.
These are the things that should be inscribed and mounted on the Mavericks’ championship rings, which they should be receiving tonight at American Airlines Center.
They won’t, of course. The NBA lockout has erased the first month of the season, which includes opening night. The Chicago Bulls were supposed to be in town and the first leg on the Mavericks’ championship victory lap would have been great for the team and even better for the fans.
Reliving that magical run will have to wait until December or January or later.
It is painful to realize this day, and the 29 that will follow, will not include a single dribble of an NBA basketball in a game that matters. Yeah, I know there are exhibitions planned and the faces that are so familiar to so many will pop up here and there. But it’s not the same. You know it and I know it.
Instead of games, we’re left with more of the lockout soap opera to chew on while we wait for the sides to go back to the negotiating table. Union president Derek Fisher is busy fighting those questioning his loyalty to his constituency. Heat owner Micky Arison is busy digging into his wallet to pay fines for a Twitter habit gone wrong.
Surely, both men would rather be doing something else, namely celebrating the start of yet another championship chase by two teams (Fisher’s Lakers and Arison’s Heat) that would have been considered top contenders heading into the 2011-12 season, along with the aforementioned defending champs — and a few other teams, too.
Instead, all we are left with is these lasting images of the past few weeks (see video below). Hollow promises, edicts and deadlines have been thrown in every direction.
Bottom line: We’ll sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and have to go cold turkey on the basketball trimmings we’re used to, since the entire month was sacked by the labor impasse.
But if we get to Christmas without a season … let’s not even go there!
The NBA can kiss my arse!
What is a real compromise is 51/49 for the players and split concessions on system issues and get things going.I’m starting to wonder if owners have some ulterior motive or backup plan why they are being so hardline about breaking these guys down……………
They do! To make a couple of bucks! The players have been overpaid the last 6 years and it’s gone to their heads! Let’s make all endorsements part of basketball related income! Don’t give in owners, You overpaid these guys for the last 6 years! enough!
I still can’t believe there is people in this world that don’t even see 5 million in a life time that players are worth all that money. It’s funny because the NBA needs to find ways for small market teams to win championship even if people don’t want to watch it. NFLTV has a great system where their broadcasters have the ability to talk about all 30 teams like superbowl contenders. NBATV just needs so need directors to have the ability to follow in the success of another great sport. It never hurts to change things around. I like Shaq but let’s be real what knowledge can he bring to broadcasting.
Please End the Lock out, I cant imagine winter without NBA
I don’t get why the players are acting like such babies. every one and their mother are taking cut backs on their income, We are in a recession if you guys don’t remember. why would any team owner have a team that is costing them money. NBA players get paid more than enough as it is, Gluttony is not a good thing. Since BRI is the issue, let me try to shed some light on it. Since making every team competitive and profitable by all 30 NBA teams is strictly an Utopian concept, we need to look at more practical alternatives. Why doesn’t the league impose a minimum acceptable return policy for an NBA team. which sets an exact dollar amount that a team has to profit to meet the minimum. Every team that falls below this, will be entitled to a share of a separate account that is designed to help struggling teams to meet the Minimum return plateau. this account can be financed by every NBA player contributing to this fund, of course not the same amount by each individual player because that wouldn’t be fair. because its easier for Kobe to pay 1million than a guy like Darko Millicic ( no offense). work out a percentage where the players that get paid more are supposed to put more into the fund. also the teams that are profitable also will have to contribute to this fund, more so than the players, they’re making money, they shouldn’t complain. players and owners have to stop looking at this as if they were on different sides. You all part of the same brand or company, the owner of one team should not look at the owner of the other company as a competitor, but simply as a struggling branch of the macro Company that is the NBA. I know this seems unsavory to both players and owners, but it seems as tho the only way to solve it, is by making both sides lose. At least this way, every one is making money and it seems fair. i know my proposal seems a bit communist, but it looks after the well being of everyone, while still providing the ability for big market teams to make more than the small market teams.the big market teams are able to make more money than other owners in small markets, so i presume they’ll be happy about that. the small market team’s balance sheet wont fall into the negative region, and they’ll be able to make a little money also, so i presume they’ll like that too. the burden is a lot lighter when everyone shares it. That’s the concept i am trying to convey. The lock out is affecting not just the owners and players, but the thousands that work in and around the NBA and the millions of fans that are losing out on quality entertainment. Let the fans take control, Because after all, without us there is no NBA.
Please respond and let me know if this is a good idea, if the NBA uses this idea and doesn’t give me credit, i’m going to be furious.
It’s a poor idea. Also it’s hardly communist as you’re creating a rich pool and a poor pool. It just encourages small market owners to field constantly weak teams and then cash in on the trickle down from the serious teams. Fans of all but the few big market teams will quickly bail.
The 2 systems currently offered by the league to the union are much better. (1) A restriction on the big market teams re-signing and trading for players when over the cap (with a 50/50 BRI split), and (2) No such restrictions but a more punitive luxury tax (with a 53/47 split in favour of the players).
Both are an improvement on what we currently have but I much prefer the former and hope this is what we end up with. Most fans I think want to see an NFL type hard cap or as near to it as possible.
53/47 BRI split in favour of owners for option (2), I should say.
I don’t really care about the NBA now. This lockout helped me rediscover what I already knew : European teams are just as good as American ones. With NBA ballers back in the French Championship, I’ve witnessed their talent being matched by other teams’ core players. And these NBA players are the likes of Tony Parker or Nicolas Batum, not journey-men. What that means is that European basketball or even International basketball is now at the level of the NBA (which NBA team could defeat the Spanish National Team ? Honestly…). I used to dream of NBA teams in Europe or elsewhere, now I just think it shouldn’t happen, as matters of money can prevent players from playing (yes, you read it right : “players” : these guys are paid millions to play a game, and the filthy rich owners cry on lost money).
I truly hope the United States will be defeated during the olympic tournament (which will happen if the Spanish Team remains as strong as it was during the Euro championship) showing the world of basketball that players don’t need to be crying divas to be good (even if many Spanish players play in the NBA). Oh, I forgot, I’m so happy that Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavs showed the world that overpaid and overexposed superstars don’t do all the job !
Not truly yours, not since the lockout, a former NBA fan.
greed = downfall of mankind…i mean the NBA. last time i checked…making millions to play ball is a “fair deal”. end this iish!
I agree but I think they should just call the season screw the players they make millions to play basketball if thats not enough they make nothing for a year
End the lockout!!!
50-50 please!!!
I want games for christmas!!!
FK NBA me and most of my friends are going to switch to Hockey with football. NBA is dead and boring now.
This lockout is a power battle, you fans on owners side remember they dont care about you,they dont live from this,they are bilionaires,NBA ownership is a hobby for much of them, they are hardliners because with or without season they will earn their millions this year. They use NBA losess to deduct taxes, so I dont see no reason for this lockout.
Sad night, very sad, shame on commissier,deputy commissioner and OWNERS.
I meant commisioner….Mr Lie Stern
Mr Arison, those tweets spoke a million words to me, coming from the carribbean where without unions present a lot of us would not have been enjoying a reasonable standard of living, I can relate exactly with what the players are going through, it has been my personal experience start to talk sharing of revenues with owners and guns become drawn,
The NBA did not start of paying players millions, the guys had to go through Collective agreements over the years to reach the standard that they have, at the end of the day weather or not it hundreds or millions the players are the makers of the revenue, they collectively therefore have the right to negotiate for a best deal as possible. I knew in my heart some of the owners agrred with this and thanks to Mr Arison’s tweet my suspicions was confirmed.
Yup, Micky Arison was just in his moral right not to accept an insult for something he is not guilty. But here comes Mr Power to penalize one of little kids for opening his mouth, for letting EVERYBODY here knows what the league is made of. This is nothing but a good example of “my way, or no way”, this is a good example for all the fans in owners side to realize that this lockout is not about a dam healthier NBA or ability to compete for a championship, it is about power. And don’t swallow a word comming out of the commisioner mouth.
Owners…be careful!!!!!, don’t upset Mr Power or will suffer the consequences.
Arison, my respects for you.
Arison does not speak for the majority of owners, though. He owns a profitable powerhouse team in a big market. The beauty of the NBA is that all 30 teams have an equal say in how the league is run and rightly so. I’m sure he’ll take his punishment and accept that he shouldn’t be leaking his private thoughts like that. I wouldn’t think there are more than a handful of owners who share his opinion.
Fan’s should go on strike too. Don’t buy any NBA stuff of any kind, until the NBA starts again. Fan’s deserve better!
NBA PLAYERS SHOULD GET REGULAR 8-5 JOBS, LET THEM KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO EARN MONEY. ALL THEY DO IS PLAY BASKETBALL, THATS NOT A JOB, SO STOP THE WHINING AND END THE OCK OUT,
All the owners want is to make a couple of bucks! The players have been overpaid the last 6 years and it’s gone to their heads! Let’s make all endorsements part of basketball related income! Don’t give in owners, You overpaid these guys for the last 6 years! enough!
When/If the season starts the fans should keep away. Let them play in front of empty seats!
I am extremely glad that the NBA season is in jeopardy. If things go well, the entire season will be canceled! You know what that means? The networks can devote more time to NFL games and post-game highlights! No more basketball being in the mix and just basically being there to eat up time that could be devoted to football. Hooray for the lockout! Please, please, do not come to a deal. This is great for football fans.
If you hate the NBA so much then WHY are you on NBA.com?? Go back to the NFL. We NBA fans don’t need your useless hate comments here.
Players wanna spend the holidays with their families. Then they’ll get back to work after the New Year. It’s not about the money, or the BRI, or the luxury tax. These guys are gentle giants. They have a difficult job that which takes them all over the country, Maybe the players collectively miss their friends and families more then they do basketball. What other conclusions do you expect fans to believe, other then – I miss my mommy – ?
I agreed 100% with ChRLes We thefans should be more corageous and demand our rights, don’t buy any NBA stuff at all
that way we clarify our position and respect.These people NBA and NBPA are just a bunch of greedy clowns.LET”S GO FANS,LETS GO FANS !!!
NBA has opportunity to change sports in a positive way like the NFL has done before. Truth be told I don’t care much about MLB because the monoply gets boring mid way through the season. I’m a causal fan but I love my Toronto Raptors, but I can’t support them because I hate losers. So my money stay in my pocket because I know what the result are in the beginning of the season every year. We always fight for lottery picks and maybe a playoff of spot to please us once in away but to say we going to win it all is a joke. This system where players hold teams for ransom is a joke too. Howard, Paul, D Will, and many more stars are planning on make big moves too. I just hope the owners can stop this foolishness and bring balance back to the fans not the owners the fans that deserve it in all the underachieving teams. 50/50 split is a good starting point but also letting the college players develope their skills more. Too many of college players come into the NBA with no jump shot or basketball IQ. let them stay two years in college to year how to run a team. I love D rose, John Wall but there game is simple. Coast to Coast and try to shoot and pray I want to see true point guard like Mark Jackson, Magic, Isiah, John come back into the game to show these young players how to control a game not just drive to basketball and pray.
Good points. We shouldn’t forget that with the current system the NBA is still pretty fair at least. The gap between the Lakers and Kings payroll ($110m vs $45m) isn’t THAT astronomical, especially when you compare it to MLB or in particular European soccer. But it would benefit from being fairer still.
You’re right that a lot of the big stars are trying to follow Boston and Miami’s big 3s and load themselves onto big market teams, which might be exciting in a superficial sense but does damage the competitive balance (and hence general interest level) of the league. The great thing about the NBA is even when you see a good side against a poor side there’s at least 1 guy on the poor side who’s good enough to be in the good side’s starting 5 (often more than 1) and the time frame for the poor side closing the gap or even becoming superior might only be a season or 2. The difference is often just a poor coach, the odd under-performing player, poor team chemistry or whatever. You need that level of competition to make the games worth watching. Who wants to watch the big kid in the playground beating up on the weak kid?
Take Euro soccer again. If you watch a game like Man Utd/Chelsea/Man City vs Fulham/Bolton/Everton there’s literally not one player from the 2nd bracket of teams that would even make the bench of the first bracket teams. Sure this makes it fun when the loaded 1st bracket teams play each other but that happens like 6 times in a whole season and the rest is just a dull procession. Those leagues are utterly boring to the neutral and torture for the fans of the lesser teams, who start the season playing for 7th/8th position. Also you have great players wasting away on the benches of the big clubs. The NBA and all other sporting leagues need to be running a mile from that kind of lopsided free market system. The NFL and Australia’s NRL (rugby league) are the benchmarks for modern sporting leagues IMHO.
if a small market team is not getting enough attendance – and thus losing money.. are the losses absorbed only by the owner? Do players on that team get only a portion of their contract? oe do they get the full amount just the same?… in short.. the owners are the ones that will absorb all the losses.. while the players get all their money.. no matter what?… so why do they insist on getting a big share on the income… but they don’t want to share on the operational expenses?
The owners take all the risk, players take none. I know the owners are greedy fat cats but unfortunately for the players what the owners want is best for the league,
…having said that don’t think I believe that the owners are thinking about what’s best for the league.
Opening Night Recap.
The NBA psuedo season began today with little of the usual fanfare – Somewhat surprisingly considering the marquee match ups on offer (Hunter v Stern) and their strong history of intense rivalry. While both men and their supporting casts technically played within the rules, gamesmanship was the order of the day; both employing liberal use of thinly veiled emnity and parochial doomsayers rhetoric. Highlights, however, were thin on the ground despite the great heat and tension of the combatants, and the ever-savvy fans impatience and frustration was palpable.
The game appeared to be going to the wire and much conjecture was had by the more optomistic viewers that the result today could be one to savour. Sadly, in line with the pre-season action, the current trend of no winners at all continiues, with perhaps the moral victory going to the ever vanishing pile of money – which, to its (ahem) credit and despite the relentless overtures from both sides, has maintained a stoic silence throughout.
I have to say that I think the NBA really needs to put a hard cap in and if you go over that cap then your team is not eligible for the playoffs (actually I wish all sports would do this). I can see arguing about the size of that cap which would effect the amount of money players could receive, but I think that is the fairest thing to do, and isn’t sports all about fairness? That is why they have paid referees isn’t it, to keep things fair?
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m damn tired of watching the Lakers and the Celtics dominate this league. In fact what I enjoyed most about last season was watching the debacle of the Lakers hahahaha loved that. But I don’t really want to enjoy the NBA because of that, I want to enjoy it because there is real competition in a great sport.
I have no direct knowledge of what is really going on with this lockout, from what I have read though, I would have to say it looks to me like the players are in the wrong here, as it seems they are not really looking at the big picture (if what I have read is actually true, JMHO). Whatever the problem is, you blockheads (both sides) need to get your act together and save your sport, its been spiraling down for a long time IMHO.
these guys are not even playing and they are still getting attention. just forget about it and when they come back to play let me know. you know what, we should teach these guys a lesson. who are they without the fans? f that! even if they come back lets just not turn up to the games, not buy tickets and not watch it on tv, not buy any jersey or anything. and then?
why players has BRI share?i thougt if you are an employee in a company you only have incentives.bonus,13th month pay and SALARY.if you are a good player you can get many endorsement and sponsor,that is your own income and goes to your own pocket.company has share in your endorsement?
nba has to do something about this and I have figured out the way! Give me some $ and I will tell
and… what about the great players legacy? years from now we could hear how this one could have been great and set this or that record, blah blah blah.
YES…. we need to be contious of what we buy and when we go out if its an nba sponcer try not to support them.
DONT BUY NBA RELATED!!!!!!!! COME ON PEOPLE, fellow fans. its our hard earned money that they are fighting over.with out us nobody, and i mean nobdy makes money. sponcers wont sponcer because whos watching?????
in everyones comment put WILL NOT SUPPORT….