Tag: NBA lockout (Page 6 of 8)

Billy Hunter thinks NBA season will be canceled

August 4, 2011 / John Paulsen

NBAPA executive director Billy Hunter believes that the entire NBA season is in danger of being canceled.

“The circumstances have changed among [David Stern’s] constituency,” Hunter told a group of lawyers Wednesday, as quoted in the Baltimore Sun. “In the last six or seven years, there is a new group of owners to come in who paid a premium for their franchises, and what they’re doing is kind of holding his feet to the fire.”
Hunter told an American Bar Association conference that if he “had to bet on it”, he would wager that there will be no NBA season.
“We’re $800 million apart per year,” Hunter said Wednesday, adding, “something has to happen that both of us can use as leverage to save face.”

If the NFL lockout was bad, the NBA’s situation is far worse due to just how far the two sides are apart. The owners aren’t afraid to cancel the season because many of them would save money (i.e. they’re in the red). Many players have saved up in case of a lockout and are even finding work elsewhere. This looks like it’s going to get ugly.

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Jordan Farmar to play in Israel

August 3, 2011 / John Paulsen

Per NJ.com…

Jordan Farmar, the Nets’ backup point guard, has reached agreement on a one-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League to play there during the NBA lockout. The deal includes a termination provision in the event the lockout is settled and the NBA season resumes.
“I’m very excited to play in Tel Aviv,” Farmar told the Star-Ledger. “I went there as a little kid. My stepdad is from Tel Aviv. I watched Tel Aviv play basketball and football — soccer.”
Farmar, 24, who is Jewish, will initially count as an American on Tel Aviv’s roster. Israeli teams are allowed to dress only four foreign players for league games. Farmar, though, said he will apply for Israeli citizenship “to give (the team) more flexibility, or whatever.”

As the NBA lockout drags on, more and more players are going to play elsewhere.

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More stars considering playing overseas

August 1, 2011 / John Paulsen

– Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are pondering a jump to Europe during the lockout.

– Kevin Durant is “50/50” on playing overseas.

– Blake Griffin is “not opposed to” playing elsewhere during the lockout.

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As the NBA and the Players sit down to meet…

August 1, 2011 / John Paulsen

…here is an overview of just how far apart the two sides are:

Among the economic issues that caused the lockout to go into place were the owners seeking a larger share of the basketball-related income (BRI). Player salaries took up 57 percent of the BRI in the last CBA. Owners wanted to lower that number to approximately 55-45 in their favor, while players offered to lower their take to 54.3 percent — giving up $500 million in total player salaries over five years, a concession that NBA commissioner David Stern characterized at the time as “modest.”
There were also disagreements over how long the next CBA should last — owners proposed a 10-year deal while the union started with a five-year proposal, later stretching it to six. There was also a fundamental disagreement between the union and owners over the $340 million the league claims to have lost during the 2009-10 season and whether revenue-sharing amongst owners would be a more appropriate means to recoup those losses in the future rather than slicing player salaries.

Who’s going overseas?

July 29, 2011 / John Paulsen

HoopsHype has a great page that NBA fans should bookmark if they want to keep track of who’s signing where during the NBA’s lockout. Fourteen players have agreed to play overseas so far. Here’s a look:

Ok, so there’s only one big name on that list, but Deron Williams’ deal has sparked more interest amongst the league’s stars. Take a look at the link above to see who may be headed where.

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