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NBA labor talks turn nasty, break off
Source: Agencies |
October 22, 2011, Saturday
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NATIONAL Basketball Association labor talks turned nasty and broke off on Thursday when three days of meetings failed to yield a deal to end a 112-day lockout, raising the likelihood that even more games will be canceled.
After 30 hours of talks before a federal mediator, the sides remained divided over two main issues - the division of revenues and the structure of the salary cap system.
"Ultimately, we were unable to bridge the gap that separates the two parties," NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. "We understand the ramifications of where we are."
Without a deal, NBA Commissioner David Stern, who missed Thursday's session due to illness, almost certainly will decide more games must be dropped.
The season was supposed to begin on November 1, but all games through November 14 - 100 in total - already have been scrapped, costing players about US$170 million in salaries.
Stern said previously that games through Christmas were in jeopardy without a deal this week.
The union said owners essentially gave it an ultimatum to accept a 50-50 split of revenues, and president Derek Fisher accused management of lying to the media.
Our best effort
"We've spent the last few days making our best effort to try and find a resolution here. Not one that was necessarily a win-win. It wouldn't be a win for us. It wouldn't be a win for them. But one that we felt would get our game back ... and get our guys back on the court, get our vendors back to work, get the arenas open, get these communities revitalized."
Previously each side had proposed receiving 53 percent of basketball-related income after players were guaranteed 57 percent under the previous collective bargaining agreement. Silver said the league formally proposed a 50-50 revenue split on Wednesday, and the union moved from 53 percent to 52.5 percent on Thursday.
Owners and players met with federal mediator George Cohen for 16 hours on Tuesday, ending around 2am on Wednesday, then returned just eight hours later and spent another 8 1/2 hours in discussions. The sides then met for about five hours on Thursday, before calling it quits.
After 30 hours of talks before a federal mediator, the sides remained divided over two main issues - the division of revenues and the structure of the salary cap system.
"Ultimately, we were unable to bridge the gap that separates the two parties," NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. "We understand the ramifications of where we are."
Without a deal, NBA Commissioner David Stern, who missed Thursday's session due to illness, almost certainly will decide more games must be dropped.
The season was supposed to begin on November 1, but all games through November 14 - 100 in total - already have been scrapped, costing players about US$170 million in salaries.
Stern said previously that games through Christmas were in jeopardy without a deal this week.
The union said owners essentially gave it an ultimatum to accept a 50-50 split of revenues, and president Derek Fisher accused management of lying to the media.
Our best effort
"We've spent the last few days making our best effort to try and find a resolution here. Not one that was necessarily a win-win. It wouldn't be a win for us. It wouldn't be a win for them. But one that we felt would get our game back ... and get our guys back on the court, get our vendors back to work, get the arenas open, get these communities revitalized."
Previously each side had proposed receiving 53 percent of basketball-related income after players were guaranteed 57 percent under the previous collective bargaining agreement. Silver said the league formally proposed a 50-50 revenue split on Wednesday, and the union moved from 53 percent to 52.5 percent on Thursday.
Owners and players met with federal mediator George Cohen for 16 hours on Tuesday, ending around 2am on Wednesday, then returned just eight hours later and spent another 8 1/2 hours in discussions. The sides then met for about five hours on Thursday, before calling it quits.
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