“I have thought about it before and a few times in the past I kind of had an ankle injury that kind of kept me out of it and a couple of times I was just like, ‘You know what, I’m going to go in here and rest my legs for this weekend and then get back to the regular season,” James said. “But, I mean, they say a lot of the greats have done it and I’ve watched it over the years.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It was a moment five months in the making.

Commissioner David Stern and Union Head Billy Hunter announced there was an agreement in principle on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and that the lockout would be lifted.

Unfortunately, the golden moment happened at 3pm eastern time. Most were asleep, so watch the video and get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below with thoughts ... 

LeBron James: Miami/South Florida let's go!!!! HEAT is gone be on FIRE

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: And so ‘The Redemption’ begins.

LeBron James and his Miami Heat were public enemy number one during 2010-11, as fans, media, and even some players objected to the way they came together as free agents.

Simply put, they were the villains, which made for great ratings and publicity.

Sadly, this momentum has been delayed by a petty, annoying, and trivial five-month lockout, where owners and players fought over minor issues when the framework of a deal - like the split of Basketball Related Income - had been in place for weeks.   

Now James begins the massive task of reshaping his image. Remember, the All-World three-man was routinely criticized and booed during the NBA Finals.

He was must-see TV. Just not in a good way.

In a sense, the lockout was good for James. It gave him time to pause, reflect and escape the harsh glare of the spotlight.

Time will tell if he’s learned from past errors. The shortened 2011-12 season holds the answer.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

NBA training camps and free agency will open simultaneously on Dec. 9 ahead of a triple-header on Dec. 25. Teams with many free agents will have limited rosters for the start of training camp. Marc Gasol, David West, Nene, Jamal Crawford and Jason Richardson are amongst the most prominent free agents.

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DeMar DeRozan: I might cry tonight!

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: This is exactly what fans want to hear. A young star, DeMar DeRozan, is excited to return to the basketball court.

Fans don’t want hear of B-List negotiations, owners conceding on the Mini Mid Level Exception and Sign-and-Trades for tax paying teams, and players feeling like they f*ck’n caved (this is how one veteran described the entire process).

This he-said-she-said, back-and-forth is all fans have heard for five months. And there were years of nonsense before that.

It stops. Right now.

The focus should be on the upcoming free agent period and then basketball.

Players and owners must get the bitterness out their mouth and focus on giving fans the joy of the sport.

All sides could take a lesson from DeRozan.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The NBA and players have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The deal sets in motion a series of steps to end the lockout and play a 66-game schedule in the 2011-12 season, with opening day on Christmas.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It's over. Finally.

Well, sort of.

Last night, Commissioner David Stern and Union Boss Billy Hunter settled the major system issues and tentatively agreed on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

There is still work to be done on the rookie salary cap, drug testing, and other minor issues.

Both sides felt confident enough to shake hands and the owners lifted the lockout. Bottom line: we will probably have basketball. A 66-game season is slated to start on Christmas Day.

What about the damage to the sport?

For months, the NBA was criticized for not getting their house in order. After all, the NFL didn't cancel games. And MLB quietly achieved labour peace last week.

All parties looked especially foolish arguing over the last crumbs on the table. And much of the momentum from last year has been lost.

Still, there will be basketball. That is far more than most expected.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“Two people who have been briefed on the league’s strategy told CBSSports.com the NBA is holding out hope a settlement can be reached in time for the season to begin no later than Christmas.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: All I want for Christmas is my NBA.

It has become tradition –the gorging of food and consumption of beer while watching several NBA teams battle on Jesus’ birthday.

It may still happen. Saving the season would be a Christmas miracle, indeed.

Apparently players and owners have started talking with the hope that they’ll find common ground on the remaining system issues and begin a 66-game season on December 25th.

Basketball Related Issue is no longer an issue; the players and owners will split revenue 50-50. Surprisingly, the owners and players are arguing over the Mid level Exception.

If they don’t find common ground, the season may be in doubt. Commissioner David Stern has said he the league would a need thirty day window after signing the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to handle free agency and training camp.

And then we would all have to spend time with our parents-in-law on Christmas. None of us want that. They better get a deal done.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Paul Pierce believes the owners need to be the party to initiate a return to the bargaining table. “I think the owners have to take the step. We have taken a lot of steps. I think we have taken as many steps as we can take, which is why we are at where we are at. We feel like we’ve taken the most steps. That’s why we are going to court now.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Paul, who cares?

Five months into the NBA lockout it doesn’t matter who initiates talks so that owners and players finally bridge the gap on the remaining system issues.

It only matters that they do talk and bridge the gap. After all, the season is at risk. And re-starting after blowing an entire year would be difficult.

But Pierce’s attitude is hardly surprising. It reflects the view of players and owners in that the other side is at fault. So why talk? And why compromise on the last crumbs of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement?

Sadly, stubbornness is ruling the day.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“As a fan, its’ killing me because I love the game and I love watching these athletes, I think they’re such great athletes. It’s killing me because I love the spectacle of going to the Lakers and watching the guys play.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: He has everything. Money. Pop star wife. A family. Multiple mansions. Celebrity endorsements. International fame. Over one hundred caps for his country. English Premiership glory. UEFA Championships. And most recently, an MLS Title.

Well, he doesn’t have everything. David Beckham doesn’t have the NBA.

Like you and me, Beckham desperately wants an end to the five month old lockout. The rock star of ‘The Beautiful Game’ is a die-hard hoops fan who wears #23 to honour his idol Michael Jordan.     

Beckham often sits courtside with the other A-list celebs’ at Los Angeles Lakers games. So the impasse between players and owners is frustrating -even for a man who appears to have everything.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Two people who have been briefed on the NBA's strategy said there remains "optimism" that a deal with the players can be struck in time to start the season no later than Christmas. And the league and players may already have started the process of returning to negotiations.

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Billy Hunter: “Maybe we can start our own league. There are faculties where we can do that. Can’t play at MSG but can play at St John’s.” … There’s talk of getting a TV deal and creating a new league but it’d have to be with a network that’s unafraid to cross the NBA.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: I call nonsense.

There's little chance the players will start a basketball league that can rival the NBA. Correction: there's no chance.

After all, the NBA's television deals, arena rights, and corporate sponsors aren't leaving because of the lockout. And they certainly won't 'cross the floor' to support an upstart league.

Most NBA players have struggled to organize their All-Star game or charity match, so how on earth can they be expected to organize an entire league?

This is Billy Hunter, the former head of the NBA Players' Association and current head of the NBA Players' Trade Association, angling for leverage.

Threatening the owners with a rival league won't work, though.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The great ones put in work regardless of the circumstances.

Even though there’s a lockout, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are training with the hope that owners and players will solve their differences and have a season.

Click the video below, watch these superstars train, and get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts in the comment box below.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The NBA officially notified teams on Tuesday that it has canceled games through Dec. 15, according to multiple reports Tuesday. Tuesday’s cancellation is the third time games have been canceled in two-week segments. The NBA has now cancelled 304 regular-season games.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: There’s an ancient saying that for every action there’s a reaction.

One day after the players rejected the owners’ offer, decertified the union, and filed anti-trust lawsuits, David Stern struck back by cancelling games through December 15th.

Bottom line: the clock is ticking.

Consider that Stern swore there’d be no 50 game season like in 1998 and the league would need a minimum of 30 days to prepare for a 70 game season.

For a season to occur, owners and players would need to immediately rescind the lawsuits, put aside their differences, and agree on the final, controversial terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Fat chance.

So, with every action there’s a reaction. And the chances of an NBA season get less likely.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The NBA players had given up $3 billion over the proposed 10-year deal with the owners. The only significant issue remaining was the players' inability to have "freedom of movement."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: In the end, Basketball Related Income wasn’t the elephant in the room.

For years, hoop heads thought players and owners inability to split revenue (known as BRI) would result in the 2012 season being cancelled.

However, minor system issues like allowing over-the-cap teams to use the Mid Level Exception and Sign-and-Trade clauses has led to players disbanding their union and filing an anti-trust lawsuit.

Yes, the MLE and Sign-and-Trades. This is what it has come to.

By fighting over the last few million dollars on the table, the players and owners will cost each other far more.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Ever wondered what a cancelled NBA season looks like?

Well, click the video below and watch NBA players reject the 'final' offer from Commissioner Stern, which means decertification of the union and owners demanding a greater share of Basketball Related Income and a flex cap.

Translation: the 2012 season is very much in doubt.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below. 

When reached on Saturday night, however, Hunter told SI.com that his intention was to have the player representatives vote on a revised version of the NBA's latest proposal before moving forward. We will vote on the NBA's proposal," Hunter wrote in a text message. "The proposal will be presented with some proposed amendments."

Metta World Peace says his childhood hero Michael Jordan left the NBA players high and dry in the never-ending lockout drama -- by forgetting he was once one of them ... and acting like every other stubborn owner. Jordan -- the Charlotte Bobcats' big cheese -- is among a group of NBA owners who are taking a hard line with the players in the lockout negotiations. According to MWP, the players don't hate His Airness ... they just feel like, "he didn't support us when we most needed him."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s fair criticism. Especially considering it came from a man who prefers Metta World Peace to his government name.

Ron Artest, who recently changed his name to Metta World Peace, believes Michael Jordan should have done far more to bridge the gap in CBA negotiations between players and owners.

Jordan, of course, was the superstar many current NBA players grew up watching and following. And Jordan, of course, was the reason many of them make the money they do today.

And Jordan, of course, was dedicated to the Players Union, once telling former Washington owner Abe Pollin he should sell the Wizards if couldn’t make a profit.

That’s a distant memory.

The same Jordan is now a Hawk. He owns the small market Charlotte Bobcats. More than any owner, he’s pushing to destroy the Players Union in negotiations.

Winning isn’t enough. He wants total victory; to destroy the same Players Union he benefited from by 50 points.

For instance, Jordan wants the owners to have a 53% share of Basketball Related Income and won’t concede on system issues like a hard-cap.

Instead of using his unique experiences to bring players and owners together, Jordan’s stinginess, hypocrisy, and hard-line approach is driving the two sides apart.

Once again, The Greatest of all Time is showing his true colours. And current players aren`t impressed with what they`re seeing.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The 2011-2012 NBA season is really, actually going to be cancelled. You may be saying “I knew this for months!” or something similarly cynical, but no one knew. They were talking. Not as early as they should have, but they were talking. No one knew how it would end. But here we are. We’re not going to have a season.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Monday is a critical day for the now four month long lockout.

On Monday, the players will vote on, and in all likely-hood reject, the owners' latest offer of a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income and a more restrictive system.

There are consequences to rejecting the owners` offer. For instance, the owners insist this is their best deal and if rejected their next offer will include a hard cap with a demand for 53% of BRI.This is the equivalent of declaring labour war.

The players have their own card to play, though. There's a movement to decertify the union, which would officially begin once this offer is rejected.

So, much is riding on the players accepting the offer at Monday’s meeting. Unfortunately, this is a long-shot.

The early indications from players and agents is they can’t accept the restrictions owners have placed on movement. They are against a mini mid-level exception, clauses on sign-and-trades, and a super tax on over-the-cap teams.

So expect the offer to be rejected. And expect things to get especially complicated on Monday.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Hoops Vibe’s Very Quick Call: This is what we are missing. LeBron. Kevin Durant. Rudy Gay.

The best athletes in the world are not able to perform in the proper forum because they and their bosses can’t agree on splitting billions of dollars in revenue.

Anyway, watch King James drop 43 at Gay’s charity game and get at us with thoughts in the comments box below.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Dallas Mavericks player representative Jason Terry said that if the proposal NBA commissioner David Stern delivered to the union late Thursday night is not a substantial improvement from the league's one prior, players will be prepared to walk away, even if it threatens losing the entire season. "Our reasoning and what our strategy is, is we are trying to grow the game of basketball, and under the terms that have been presented to us, the game of basketball for us, from a players' perspective, financially, will not be growing," Terry said Friday morning during an appearance on the "Ben and Skin Show" on 103.3 FM ESPN.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: What now?

Do players, like Jason Terry, accept what union head Billy Hunter has called a mediocre offer and play a 72-game season? Or, do they reject the offer, decertify, and destroy the 2012 season?

Sadly, the latter is winning.

Owners and players have settled on the elephant in the room issue, Basketball Related Income.   

Both sides agreed on a ‘band system’ to split BRI evenly at 50%. In the past, owners received 43%, while players received 57%.

This, however, is not the source of contention. Players are unhappy with the system issues, specifically the owners restricting loopholes like the mid-level exception and sign-and-trades for teams over the salary cap.

Here’s my question: how many players each year get the full mid-level exception and/or switch teams via a sign-and-trade?

The answer: not many.

In the owners' latest offer, over-the-cap teams can still use a scaled back version of the mid-level exception and sign-and-trades, too. This sounds fair. And at a certain point, owners and players must cut a deal or lose the season.

Then everybody - owners, players, and, most importantly fans - suffers.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“Why cant players have freedom of movement?” asked Durant. “Teams trade players like cards, but you get mad when a player decides to go to another team. Double standard.” Durant pointed out that players often take less money in order to have the freedom to pick their destination. “I’m all for player movement,” said Durant before adding that he loves playing for the Thunder.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: There has to be a trade off. At least, Kevin Durant thinks so.

Regardless of what the owners say, the players have made considerable concessions on Basketball Related Income.

For instance, the players earned 57% of BRI in the last Collective Bargaining Agreement and stand to make about 50% whenever the two sides sign a new deal.

The hold-up is what players get in exchange for taking a smaller piece of the pie. They want freedom to move between teams, while the owners are reluctant to grant such freedom because they fear wealthy, have-franchises will overpay.

Bottom line: the owners scored a massive victory on BRI. They routed the players by 35 points and are laughing to the bank.

Perhaps owners should give on cap loopholes and trade exceptions. Or, perhaps players, like Durant, should live with a scaled down mid level exception and sign-and trade formula.

Somebody has to give. At this point, I, like most of ‘Joe Public’, don’t care who it is.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

”In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Johnson said Jeffrey Kessler’s assertions were “ridiculous” while praising Stern as a commissioner who has done plenty to further the success of black players in the league.”This league is more diverse than any other league and has more minoritiesin powerful positions than any other league,” Johnson told AP. “That’s all about David Stern and his vision and what he wanted todo. He make sure minorities had high-ranking positions from the league officeall the way down to coaches and front office people.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The NBA lockout has gotten personal. Target number one: NBA Commissioner David Stern.

It’s not surprising that owners and players have traded barbs, insults, and slights through the media. It is surprising how personal things have become.

For instance, NBA Players Union lawyer Jeffrey Kessler and broadcaster Bryant Gumbel both called Stern and the owners racist, comparing their negotiating tactics to that of a ‘plantation overseer’.

I’m not a visible minority. I don’t live in the United States. I’m the wrong person to comment on this.

However, it’s worth noting that Magic Johnson - an African American, Hall of Fame NBA superstar, and a former minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers - has come to Stern’s defense.

Johnson thinks you can criticize Stern as commissioner, but can’t criticize him as man, citing the NBA’s track record of hiring minorities.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

David Stern has enough support from ownership to "tweak" some of the system issues that remains points of contention with the union to get a labor deal agreed upon on Wednesday.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Well, it’s about time.

Reports are filtering in late Wednesday evening that Commissioner David Stern has been given leeway by owners to concede on system issues like the luxury tax and mid-level exception.

Of course, players and owners are currently engaged in a key negotiation. And there are consequences if today’s talks pass without a settlement.

The players will likely decertify their union, forcing months of lawsuits which would kill any chance at season.

Meanwhile, owners have promised to reduce their offer of a 49%- 51% share of Basketball Related Income to 47%, which would also kill any chance at a season.

So the stakes are high. The hope is that owners giving in on system issues will force the players to give in even further on Basketball Related Income.

The alternative isn’t pretty.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: If round the clock CBA negotiations are bothering Kevin Durant, he isn’t showing it.

The Oklahoma City Thunder forward has spent the lockout balling in charity games, promoting his brand, and visiting his former University, Texas, for a football game.

Watch the video below and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below. 

 Got thoughtsÉ Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Lost in the diabolical din of the recent Derek Fisher report on FoxSports.com was the assertion that Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant is willing to accept a 50-50 deal. Two sources with knowledge of his thinking, meanwhile, told SI.com that Bryant has indeed made it known that he's open to considering the down-the-middle split. Bryant, it is believed, has indicated to union leaders on numerous occasions that -- so long as the system issues were adequately resolved -- the season was not worth sacrificing if the negotiations came down to a couple percentage points on BRI (which, to be clear, are hardly chump change considering they're worth approximately $40 million annually per percentage point).

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: For the NBA’s best player, the system take priority over Basketball Related Income.

Unlike his peers, Kobe Bryant is more concerned with the owners’ trying to limit player movement through harsh taxes and closing loopholes than a few percentage points of revenue.

Interesting.

Bryant would, in fact, take a 50-50 split of BRI; however, the owners would need to give in other ares so players have leverage when they are free agents.

There’s the key word: give.

Right now, the owners want everything. The split of BRI. The system. It’s total victory or nothing. They aren’t giving the players anything unless it’s a deadline.

Bryant, despite being the game greatest player, has little power to change that.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Stern proclaimed officially Friday there is no longer a chance of squeezing in an 82-game schedule with a Dec. 1 starting date. However, multiple sources predict a 78-game slate will be staged if the sides compromise on the revenue split by next weekend. The final schedule has to be an even number, sources said.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It wouldn’t be a full season, but it would be close.

If owners and players can quickly bridge the two percent difference on Basketball Related Income, the league would begin a 78 game season in early December.

Sure, it would be a month late and fans would lose four games. 78 games sounds appealing considering there was a strong chance of missing an entire season.

The question is if the two sides can, or will, compromise on the last stages of negotiations before further damage to the league and sport is done.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

I think we’re within reach (on system issues), within striking distance of getting a deal,” Hunter said. There are still big hurdles ahead, ones that could mean negotiations will need to go through the weekend or even into next week.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Owners and players don't have a new labour deal, but they're close.

Commissioner David Stern and Union Head Billy Hunter were caught joking together at a recent press conference. Such a sight would have been unthinkable a few days ago.

Work is still to be done. For instance, the two sides have yet to discuss the split of Basketball Related Income, deciding to focus on system issues the last few days.

For months, BRI was the elephant in the room. The split of revenue was a point of contention, so perhaps it's overly optimistic to think this sticking point can be resolved in one short day.

However, the two sides have momentum.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Pretty widely expected that NBA’s next announcement will be that start of season postponed “indefinitely,” or “until further notice.” Question is, will league and union meet/bargain before that announcement is made? Nothing planned for (Sunday), source says.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: This is about leverage.

If owners cancel an additional two weeks of the NBA season, they'd be aiming to hit players squarely in their bank account.

Players are paid on the 15th and 30th of each month, so they'd miss at least one pay cheque and their second cheque in November would be at risk.

Nothing creates urgency more than losing money. At least, that's what owners are hoping for.

However, the door isn't shut as the league is expected to postpone the start of the season indefinitely rather than a specific number of games.

O. Sandor

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below. 

While two weeks of the regular season have already been canceled and at least two more are expected to go soon, two sources close to the negotiations said the union believes that Stern assured his ESPN and TNT television partners that, by back-ending the missed games, he can still deliver an 82-game season even if starts in December. Accurate or not, the players’ perception of when their early paychecks will truly be gone for good will determine when they reach for the panic button.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Apparently, there’s still time.

Various publications are reporting that the NBA could still play an 82 game season if players and owners solve their differences and sign off on a new collective bargaining agreement.

It has to happen quickly, though, and this could be the problem.

Even after days of mediation, owners and players are holding firm to their positions on Basketball Related Income and system issues like the luxury tax.

There’s another complication: reports indicate that owners are split into small market Hawks and big market Doves. The Hawks - teams like Charlotte, Milwaukee, Phoenix - are holding firm for major concessions, while the Doves -teams like Chicago, Miami, and New York - are eager to settle.

Hopefully, the two sides meet next week and make progress. The alternative isn’t pretty.

--O.Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Stern’s version of what’s been going on behind closed doors has, of course, been disputed. But his efforts were typical of a commissioner, who has always seemed eager to be viewed as some kind of modern plantation overseer treating NBA men as if they were his boys. It’s part of Stern’s M.O. Like his past self-serving edicts on dress code or the questioning of officials, his moves are intended to do little more than show how he’s the one keeping the hired hands in their place.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Perspective matters.

Bryant Gumbel is clearly losing perspective on the NBA lockout when he compares Commissioner David Stern to a plantation overseer.

To be fair, Stern is many things: cocky, arrogant, smarmy, confrontational, self-absorbed, militant, egotistical, and difficult.

And he’s been called even worse.

Some fans, especially in Seattle and Vancouver, would say he’s dishonest after their franchises were taken in a conspiracy that would impress filmmaker Oliver Stone.

But a ‘plantation overseer‘? Implying that multimillionaire NBA players are slaves to the owners and Stern?

Clearly, this is unfair even for a dubious character like Stern.

O.Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News for thoughts in the comment box below.

NBA labor talks stretched into the wee hours Wednesday morning as players and owners met with a federal mediator, hoping to deliver the progress Commissioner David Stern says is needed to avoid canceling more games. Both sides met for more than 15 hours, their longest negotiating session since owners locked out players when the old collective bargaining agreement expired June 30.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: What conclusions can we draw from players and owners holding a 15 hour mediation session?

Well, not much.

One day won't settle a four month long lockout, especially when the two sides are so far apart with respect to Basketball Related Income and system issues. 

The best we can hope for is progress. Perhaps the players and/or owners step off the ideological lines they drew in the sand so many years ago.

If that happens then today will have been a success.

--O.Sandor. 

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: And so the media show begins.

David Stern has recently gone on an all out publicity blitz with players and owners stuck at an impasse in negotiations.

For instance, ‘The Commish’ chatted with famed Sports business reporter Darren Rovell about the nearly fourth month old lockout.

Click the clip below, watch the interview with Stern, and get at HoopsVibe news in the comment box below.

O.Sandor 

In a news conference later, union President Derek Fisher didn’t appear to be ruffled by what McGee said. “The person that spent the least amount of time in the room can’t make that statement,” Fisher said. “He’s in no position to make that statement on behalf of the group.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Remember the ribbing JaVale McGee took when his mum smooched with judges at the Slam Dunk Contest?

Or, the criticism he took for fighting Washington Wizards teammate Andray Blatche outside a DC nightclub?

Well, that’s nothing.

The Wizards forward is facing heat for comments he made that some NBA players were prepared to fold, take the owners’ current offer, and end the work stoppage.

His union brethren responded rather viscously, saying McGee was in no position to make such comments.

This brings up an interesting aside: as this dispute drags on certain players, like McGee, will speak out of turn.

Will they face a backlash on-court from their peers when the work dispute is solved? And how will they be received by teammates in their own locker room?

Certainly McGee is being made an example of. The message is clear: keep quiet or face consequences.

--O.Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Yet during an interview on WFAN on Wednesday, Billy Hunter indicated that an agreement between the owners and players had been nearing completion. "We thought we could live with the deal we were close to making," Hunter said.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Two people can see the same thing very differently.

Commissioner David Stern said the players and owners were miles apart after the two met last weekend, while union head Billy Hunter apparently believed a deal was there to be made.

As usual, the truth lies in the middle. Somewhere.

Will the players and owners ever find the middle? After all, the two sides are unlikely to find an ideological common ground when it requires them to leave their line in the sand.

Right now, Stern and Hunter can’t even agree on the state of negotiations. So how can they possibly bridge the gap on hundreds of million of dollars, keep the groups they represent happy, and preserve their professional reputations by forging a ‘win’?

It doesn’t look good. A start would be to agree on how exactly to characterize negotiations.

O.Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Stern wiped out the first two weeks of the season - exactly 100 games - after more than seven hours of negotiations failed to produce a new labor deal and preserve the Nov. 1 season openers.

The cancellations mark the NBA's first work stoppage since the 1998-99 season was reduced to 50 games.Stern said players and owners were "very far apart on virtually all issues. ... We just have a gulf that separates us.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: They've been playing with fire for too long. And now they could get burned.

NBA players and owners have had little success finding common ground on a new collective bargaining agreement, which would solve the league's three month old lockout.

So the inevitable finally happened.

Today, Commissioner David Stern kyboshed the first two weeks of the season, putting at risk last season's gains and the future health of the league.

Shame on the owners. Shame on the players.

Perhaps the owners' hardline stance during negotiations was unfair. Perhaps they were making up for years of overpaying the league's mediocre middle class.

Either way, both parties are at fault for the current predicament. Something or someone has to give.Or, the cancellations will continue.

-O.Sandor

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Fisher encouraged all players to attend an NBPA meeting in Los Angeles on Monday, and to utilize “our personal social networking channels to show the fans and you all, that we are united and want to get back to work under a fair deal.”

(Per Derek Fisher:) “On Monday, Chris (Paul) and I will tweet and post “LET US PLAY.” This was used by the NFL players and many will be joining us on Monday and retweeting the same message to show their support for our players. I will also be using the hash tag #StandUnited after all my messages until this lockout is over.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Desperate times, desperate measures.

When, not if, the NBA starts cancelling regular seasons games, Union President Derek Fisher wants the players he represents to protest via social media.

Fisher wants the players to show unity by collectively tweeting ‘Let Us Play’. Sadly, this will gain little sympathy with the public.

The players, of course, can play. They just have to make further concessions.

The players can begin training camp on Tuesday by moving off their 53-47 split of Basketball Related Income and accepting the owners’ proposal of an even 50-50 split of BRI.

Everything else would quickly fall into place. The two sides would then sign a new collective bargaining agreement and the players could play.

--O. Sandor.

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NBA players and owners still have no deal headed into the deadline day for starting the season on time.

Negotiators for the sides agreed to meet Sunday and then huddled for more than five hours before breaking for the night. They agreed to resume talks Monday afternoon, but union president Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers acknowledged that the sides are "not necessarily closer" to a deal than they were when talks stalled last week.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It was worth a shot.

Owners and players met Sunday in New York in an effort to make progress on a new collective bargaining agreement, so regular season games would not get cancelled.

The bottom line is, well, the bottom line.

Basketball Related Income, how owners and players split all revenue earned, is the elephant in the room. 

The players are sticking firm to their offer of 53% of BRI. The owners want an even 50-50 split.

Once they reach common ground on BRI, the hard cap, guaranteed contracts, and exceptions and loopholes will fall into place.

The concern is whether they reach an agreement on BRI in time to save the start of the regular season.

The only thing we know is the two sides will talk again Monday.

--O.Sandor.

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In addition to (LeBron) James, (Dwyane) Wade and (Chris) Bosh, the Heat were represented at Saturday’s game by free-agent point guard Mario Chalmers, with former Heat player Dorell Wright also among those participating. Heat forward Udonis Haslem, still working his way back from last season’s foot injury, coached James’ team.

Center Eddy Curry, a Heat free-agent target, was a no-show, leaving unanswered questions about his conditioning. Wesley Matthews and Lou Williams also were removed from the rosters, with Harden and Tristan Thompson added.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: This wasn’t supposed to happen.

The media had been reporting on the new and improved Eddy Curry, who had lost one hundred pounds to specifically earn a contract with the star-studded Miami Heat when the lockout ends.

Curry’s body wasn’t the only thing that had supposedly changed. His supporters claimed he had matured and wouldn’t be a distraction.

Saturday’s friendly at Florida International University was key. Curry had a chance to suit up with or against potential teammates, while developing a relationship with the Heat’s rabid fans.

That opportunity is gone.

Fans aren’t talking about Curry’s skill or fitness. Instead they’re wondering why a player who wants to join the Heat couldn't bother to turn up.

If he wasn't healthy, why not attend and earn some goodwill?

It’s not a great first impression. The more things supposedly change with Curry, the more they seem to stay the same.

O.Sandor.

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Q: Have you ever thought about signing Kobe (Bryant)?:

A (Coach Sergio Scariolo): The Olympia has received many calls by the representative of Bryant, because the player was interested in playing in Milan. We, however, from the beginning we had decided not to sign players under lockout, and only one for which we wanted to make an exception was Danilo Gallinari due to human and personal connotations that attach to this team. From the beginning we thought it was the only signing NBA going to do.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Fact or fiction?

It’s hard to know what’s true or false with reports that Kobe Bryant will head overseas for a jaunt in Italy during the NBA work stoppage.

For weeks, Virtus Bologna has been saying they’re close to signing the Los Angeles Lakers superstar to a contract while players and owners bicker over a new collective bargaining agreement. 

Those negotiations have stalled. Executives with Milan are saying they turned down Kobe Bryant’s overtures as they decided not to sign locked out NBA players.

Reports of Bryant heading abroad spring up when players and owners hit a snag in negotiations. It could be a coincidence. Or, it could be a ploy to pressure Jerry Buss, the Lakers owner.

Hopefully, Bryant plays soon in his trademark purple-and-gold. Sadly, a stint in Italy seems more likely.

--O.Sandor.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The South Florida Classic was exciting, but everyone wanted to know when the NBA games would happen.

Yesterday Dwyane Wade led Team Wade to a 141-140 win over LeBron James’ Team James in a charity match at Florida International University.

A game with several All-Stars is worth watching, however, fans and media were focused on the three month old NBA lockout.

Click the video below, watch Carmelo Anthony discuss his love for the Heat’s Big Three, and Wade, and consider his thoughts on the NBA’s labour impasse.

-O.Sandor.

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But the daily discussions I've had with agents and players on this matter tell a different tale. While the sample size is equally insufficient, there are plenty of signs that a large portion of players just want to play and would be willing to do so with either a 50-50 split or something very close to it. And this is where the job of Hunter and his cadre gets so complicated.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Here’s where things get interesting.

Recently, the union refused Commissioner David Stern’s offer of a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income. However, CNNSI reports that many players will accept a 50 percent share of BRI because they want a season.

Such fracturing is exactly what Stern and the owners are hoping for. The sooner the players feel the pressure, the sooner the players break, and the sooner the owners get the deal they want.

At least, that’s the theory. There’s a flip side.

The players that led the charge against accepting the owners` proposal last Tuesday are some of the game’s greatest stars.

They have power. They have leverage. They have resources. And they’ll use it.

This contingent could stall and delay progress on a new collective bargaining agreement, which means NBA basketball could be a long way away.

--O.Sandor.

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Virtus Roma owner: "We have been talking with Andrea Bargnani. In my opinion, if he decides to play in Italy, he will sign just with us (Bargnani was born and grew up in Roma).

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: European clubs are loving the lockout.

The best squads in Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey are free to flirt with the best NBA players who are without jobs.

This means free publicity.

For weeks, executives with Virtus Bologna have been ‘negotiating’ with Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.

These executives have no issue discussing negotiations with the press, while Bryant’s representative, Rob Pelinka, has had little to say.

Now the head suit with Virtus Roma is telling anyone who will listen that in his opinion they’ll land Andrea Bargani.

Perhaps they will. Perhaps they won’t.

The media (myself included) is reporting his opinion, though. So Virtus Romas, like every other European club, might as well get the free publicity while they can.

O.Sandor.

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Your agents represent you, there's a loyalty there and I can appreciate that. I'll never question it, the work they do for you, or the decisions you and they make together. The letter however includes misinformation and unsupported theories. (Derek Fisher letter)

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The plot thickens.

Eventually the agents would weigh-in on the players, their clients, changing the NBA’s financial system and making major concessions to owners.

For instance, the Ari Gold’s of the NBA don’t want their clients reducing their take of Basketball Related Income from 57-46%.

And they aren’t thrilled with players accepting a hard cap or signing off on a restriction to the number of Larry Bird Loopholes or Mid Level Exceptions a team can offer per year.

So this weekend the six biggest agencies combined forces, writing a letter to players to warn of catastrophic consequences if they agree to the owners’ proposals.

In their letter, the agents instead suggest the players opt for decertification, believing the owners haven’t negotiated in good faith.

This prompted the union’s second-in-command Derek Fisher to send his own letter to the players claiming that the agents are spreading ‘misinformation’.
 
Of course, their timing is impeccable. Tuesday is a key day in negotiations. If owners and players find common ground perhaps there’s a chance the regular season starts on time.

Clearly, the agent’s letter and calls for decertification complicates any chance of a settlement.

--O.Sandor.

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Monday's smaller scale labor meeting adjourned shortly before 4:00 PM EST after a session that lasted 4.5 hours. David Stern and Adam Silver said that Monday's meeting was to "set the table for (Tuesday's) meeting."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: To quote the MJ bio flick: ‘This Is It’.

NBA players and owners are meeting on Tuesday to discuss a solution to the now three month lockout which has brought the business of basketball to a halt.

Apparently, the players are bringing in the big guns. Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, and Amar’e Stoudemire are expected to attend.

While the owners are talking tough, with Commissioner Stern saying the players need to make further concessions with respect to Basketball Related Income and system issues like the hard cap.

Bottom line: it should be interesting.

--O. Sandor.

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Emiliano Carchia: Legabasket president Valentino Renzi is optimistic about the Kobe Bryant's deal. He said that Virtus Bologna will be allowed to play the 1st two games of the season at home despite the rule forbids that. Virtus Bologna won't talk about the deal as asked by Kobe's agent.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Deal or no deal?

Virtus Bologna has been telling anyone and everyone they have signed Kobe Bryant to a shared-risk contract where every team in the Italian league will pay part of his salary.

Bryant, however, has been mostly silent.

Yes, he told the European media of his affinity for Italy, the country he spent much of his childhood in. And yes, he hinted strongly at playing in Italy if the lockout continues.

It’s easy to conclude that Virtus Bologna executives are talking too much for the Bryant camp, soaking up the publicity that comes with being connected to a world class player.

Bryant to Italy could still happen. But it will be inspite of executives at Virtus Bologna and not because of them. 

--O. Sandor

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“Very constructive,” said Davis of the portion of Saturday’s meeting he witnessed. “I think both sides are willing and they’re able, and we both understand that as long as we continue–this is a big issue and I think both sides are voicing their opinion and what they’re passionate about. Everybody’s being a lot more receptive today to moving forward. Ever since we’ve been here, we’ve been all trying to figure out the best process.”

Link (Slamonline.com)

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Well, Baron Davis is keeping it positive.

While some are painting a picture of doom and gloom, the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard believes good things are coming from the recent negotiations.

Davis even downplayed the tension between the two sides on Friday that saw Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade and Commissioner David Stern get into a confrontation.

So some good news. And Davis, the optimist, believes good things will happen if the two sides continue talking.

Perhaps.

Eventually the players and/or owners have to move on Basketball Related Income. Then, and only then, will everything else like system issues and guaranteed contracts get solved.

Only then will there be reason optimism.

O. Sandor

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The NBA and NBPA broke for the weekend on Saturday after an eight hour bargaining session that followed a four-hour meeting on Friday. No agreement is in place, but the sides have moved "closer" to a compromise on system issues, commissioner David Stern said."We're not near anything," Stern said. "But wherever that is, we're closer than we were before."

Dwyane Wade "stood up for himself," a person with knowledge of the meeting said when he confronted David Stern, who was behaving with a tone and gestures the players took exception to. According to two people familiar with the incident, Wade warned Stern not to point his finger and made reference to not being a child. After the confrontation, union chief Billy Hunter and Stern met privately, seeking a way to calm nerves and preserve the rest of the negotiations.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: In the players’ corner, we have Dwyane Wade. In the owners’ corner, we have ‘David’ Stern.

Unfortunately, the New York hotel hosting NBA labour negotiations didn’t have a UFC style octagon, boxing ring, or sketchy Blood Sport style basement for Wade and Stern to duke it out. 

The biggest news from Friday’s negotiations between players and owners was a tiff between the Miami Heat’s superstar and the commissioner.

Apparently, Wade became incensed when Stern pointed his finger at him, essentially telling the veteran commissioner he was an adult and deserved to be treated as such.

Fair enough. Then he returned the favour.

Wade reminded Stern he had children and repeatedly addressed him as ‘David’ instead of calling him Commissioner Stern.

Cooler heads did prevail and Stern twice tried to apologize to Wade.

Oh, the drama. Hopefully, these professionals turned their attention to the hard cap and the split of Basketball Related Income.

There is, after all, a season to be saved.

--Oly Sandor.

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"Let's go," one of the players said, according to a source. "There's no reason to go back in there." The players decided to return to the bargaining room with a much smaller group. Among those joining Derek Fisher for the second session were LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Baron Davis and committee member Chris Paul. None of the players joining Fisher sat down during this portion of the talks, a person with knowledge of the meetings said.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They both have their ideological line in the sand. And they both are sticking to it.

The owners, for instance, feel the current league financial structure is far too favourable for the players and are sticking to their demands of 54 percent of all Basketball Related Income.

In the last collective bargaining agreement, the owners only got 43 percent of the BRI, so they’re asking the players to take an 11% hit, which translates to a pay cut of billions of dollars per year.

Meanwhile, some players are still looking though rose coloured glasses, thinking it’s the 1990s when NBA franchises printed money and were highly profitable.

They’ve refused any sort of hard cap, but, to be fair, have agreed to a reduced share of the BRI.

Negotiations continue Saturday morning.

--Oly Sandor.

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Before a stunning confrontation between Dwyane Wade(notes) and NBA commissioner David Stern in Friday’s labor meeting, Wade, LeBron James(notes) and Chris Paul(notes) told their Players Association peers that they’re willing to sit out the season rather than make further concessions to the owners, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Wade, James and Paul were at the forefront of a strong players presence at a Park Avenue hotel for Friday’s contentious bargaining session. In a private union meeting prior to the bargaining session with owners, James kept reiterating to the group of elite players that they shouldn’t give back a greater share of the league’s basketball-related income (BRI) than what they’d already conceded in previous negotiations.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Will the Average Joe concede or take a stand and sit with the superstars?

It’s great for LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade to announce publicly they’ll boycott the season to get better terms in a collective bargaining agreement.

These guys, the crème de la crème of the NBA, have more money than they know what to do with. They could retire today and be set for life.

So missing a year’s salary isn’t the end of the world, however, many of the league’s rank and file won’t share their hardline approach.

The back-up guard or reserve post is likely extended and needs work. Right now, they may be feeling financial pressures and things will worsen once they miss that first November pay cheque.

--Oly Sandor

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