NBA Season may NOT be seen this season

[MrCleveland]

According to the Associated Press, NBA Commissioner David Stern said his “gut” tells him there will be no NBA basketball on Christmas without a labor agreement by Tuesday.
That day, when owners and players are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator, is a “really big deal,” he added.
Owners will then open two days of board meetings Wednesday, and without an agreement to bring them, Stern believes further cancellations are coming.
“Right now, Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday, just before my owners come into town, having brought in the labor relations committee and Billy (Hunter) having brought in his executive committee, it’s time to make the deal,” Stern said Thursday. “If we don’t make it on Tuesday, my gut – this is not in my official capacity of canceling games – but my gut is that we won’t be playing on Christmas Day.”
Stern canceled the first two weeks of the regular season on Monday when the sides couldn’t reach a deal before a deadline he had set.
Christmas is traditionally the first big day of the NBA season. This year’s three-game schedule features the NBA finals rematch between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.
The sides will need to act quickly to save it. The talks have stalled over the structure of the salary cap system and the division of revenues between owners and players.
They will meet Tuesday with George Cohen, the same mediator who tried to resolve the NFL’s labor dispute months before it eventually ended.
In Boston, both the Globe and the Herald are reporting that lost business due to the NBA lockout could run into the millions.
A spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority said that last season, each Celtics home game generated an average of $1.85 million in spinoff spending for the local economy, including spending inside the arena -- ticket sales, food, drinks, retail -- and in the surrounding neighborhood -- eating, drinking, retail, and public transportation.
“It’s a lot of money and it’s very difficult to make it up,’’ said Pat Moscaritolo, president of the convention bureau. “And if this were to go and roll in to the winter months, then it becomes more severe.”
Celtics captain Paul Pierce and coach Doc Rivers both marked birthdays Thursday, Pierce's 34th and Rivers' 50th. Pierce at least was able to celebrate with the release of his new sneaker line. Unfortunately, the Rivers and the Celtics only received some disrespect from none other than Tiger Woods, in a wide-ranging interview.
Q. I know you're a big NBA guy. Little bummed about the cancellation of the first two weeks of the season, and optimistic that they're going to be able to get something done?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, of course I'm bummed. I think anybody who is an NBA fan is certainly bummed. I know that probably one person who is happy is probably Doc Rivers. I mean, with the age of his team, it's nice for them to only play half a season. It's true. It's a fact, come on. But as far as us out west, I'm looking forward to the Lakers getting back there and we'll see what they do. The problem is you can't talk to anybody. You can't see who is potentially on the block of being traded, what kind of deals can we do? Nothing can be happening. So as a fan, it's disconcerting because I'm excited about what we could add to the team, but it's also I understand this is business, and everyone in this business wants to make money. I know the owners were losing a bunch of money, and some of the markets were feeling the effects. They can't draw certain players, so they're just trying to make it fair for everybody so everybody can win.
Jeff Green, meanwhile, will participate in yet another charity game on Oct. 21 in Minnesota as players try to stay busy.
The Timberwolves' Michael Beasley and fellow locked-out NBA players John Wall, Joakim Noah, DeMarcus Cousins and Jeff Green will play a basketball exhibition game Oct. 21 at Osseo High School to benefit the Michael Beasley Foundation. Adrian Peterson and Norm Nixon will be celebrity coaches. Ticket prices are $50 general admission, $100 for VIP and $200 for courtside.

Looks like The Mavericks may keep their Title for another year.

[EricIdlefan]

NBA needs to learn from the NFL. Despite not having the popularity of the latter, they need to solve this like the NFL did. Before the season and not have to cancel the season. Glad that the NFL didn't cancel the season. NBA hopefully will listen to it's fans and get this worked out and fast!

[isiahthomas]

I'm pissed that the players and owners can't resolve this situation because the players are greedy. I'm not mad at the owners. The players are to blame for this lockout. Why can't the players be happy with the salaries they're getting? You got unemployed people who can't get jobs and they would love to get the money NBA players are getting. NBA players need to deal with reality and realize that they should be lucky to be playing basketball because if they weren't playing basketball, they couldn't get a job doing anything else because they aren't smart. A lot of black basketball players come from bad neighborhoods and they go to bad schools and could care less about a education. So a lot of them go to college just to play basketball so they can go to the NBA. They aren't trying to get a college education and they don't realize that if they can't play basketball, they gotta get a job.

[Brad Russ]

i ain't crying for the players. Like i mentioned previously, 70% of the teams are bankrupt as it is, get your wish and there will be no NBA at all within five years geniuses.

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