If you want it to be. As you may have heard, the owners dropped the 50/50 Basketball Related Income precondition to keep the talks going. People are running their mouths over Twitter claiming that the NBA lockout is supposedly nearing its’ end. We will see. Are you sure? I have accepted that the 2011-2012 season is canceled a long time ago. After what Dwyane Wade said about teams not needing to be competitive and Kevin Garnett’s negotiation room antics, the diehard fans revolted against the players. Fans are calling players stupid, but they need to calm down. We want our NBA game back as much as President Barack Obama, but the inside sources got us blue balled. The NBA lockout is ending, eh?

Derrick Rose recently said that the current NBA lockout is “not our fault.” That makes sense. He is a player. He is a part of the Player’s Union. Captain Obvious is obvious. Why would he state something that does not need to be said? It’s not just Rose, but for the rest of the players. This generic statement is an easy statement to make. We understand the need to put blame on someone. Someone has to go down. Upon further examination, is the blame truly on the owners? 

In the words of Yoda, “66 games does not a season make.” Well, maybe Yoda never actually said that, but I’m pretty sure he would at least be thinking it based on the latest news regarding the NBA lockout.

On Wednesday, former NBA stud Allen Iverson he announced he will be competing in tournament called the “Las Vegas Superstar Challenge” featuring four teams of NBA players on November 12^th and 13^th. On Tuesday, former NFL stud Terrell Owens held a private workout to prove he is 100% healthy and can still contribute to an NFL team.

With a new NBA player heading overseas seemingly every day as the NBA lockout gets closer and closer to eradicating the entire season, it’s interesting to consider how player movement affects the evolution of the game itself.

There is a possibility that this might happen. Right now, things look grim. People are trying to remain hopeful. This is not a doom piece, but I usually go about expecting the worst out of everything. That’s life because when things go right, there is nothing to complain about. With that in mind, let’s pretend that the season is done. It’s over. Now what? The last lockout back in 1998 had the NBA miss 32 games. The league lost a lot of fans. 

The NBA has not missed any games for the upcoming season just yet. It’s still the summer after all. We’ll just have to see if the player’s union and owners can work out a new collective bargaining agreement in the upcoming months. The problem is they are too far apart on everything. Go ahead and head on over to the NBA’s main site to educate yourself on the terms and what they’re disagreeing on. The players and owners hate each other every day yet they cannot live without each other. 

The time is here to be liberated from the NBA shackles. Some of us were waiting in anticipation to the excitement that the lockout brings. When July 1, 2011 arrived at midnight, did you have a party just like New Year’s Eve? Of course not. Shit was depressing. Countless hours of watching pro basketball might be eliminated when November rolls around. No free agency during the summer. No trades. No rookie summer league. Nothing. If you’re not a fan of Major League Baseball or any other sport then meh. 

When Chris Paul announced at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding that he wanted to create his own super team in front of LeBron James, it’s time start cracking down on fools. The Miami Super Team is good for competition to see where your team measures up, but this concept is awful for the rest of the NBA. Why are fools punking out of competition? These dudes are Charmin soft.  There is a good chance that a lockout is coming and the 2010 Free Agency Farce could be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I’m standing right behind you like I have been all season. I know you are trying hard not to notice me, but I’m not going anywhere. Sure, it’s been pretty easy to forget about me for the time being because the league is doing well. The Knicks are good again which suddenly revitalizes the NBA’s largest media market. Regular season games are getting their highest ratings since 2004. Blake Griffin is a freak and is proving a year away was worth the wait.

When it comes to trying to figure out where NBA owners and players are in negotiations for a new deal, the one-time Knick and current players union VP Roger Mason Jr. apparently is no Perry Mason.  Mason’s contention that there will be an NBA season was challenged Thursday by Derek Fisher, president of the NBA Players Association, after owners and players met for close to six hours for a second straight day in Manhattan. “Roger’s a very valuable member of our committee,” Fisher said. “I think he’s well-aware that we’re no closer to having a season today than we were at any other point. I think he’s clear on where we are now.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: One step forward. Two steps back. Or is that what they want us to think?

Hopefully, the President of the Player’s Union Derek Fisher is simply trying to manage expectations when he says the players and owners aren’t close to deal -even though they met for consecutive days last week.

After all, downplaying Wednesday and Thursday’s small group sessions removes the pressure when the players and owners meet with their full staffs early next week.

Perhaps they can then make progress, find common ground, and start the process of saving the season. The alternative, no basketball for an indefinite amount of time, isn’t pretty.

--Oly Sandor.

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

 

David Stern shared the same sentiment as the players following Wednesday's meeting that there is enough time to save the start of the 2011-12 NBA season. But Stern refused to characterize content/tone of negotiations or his level of optimism: "We agreed with the players not to say anything."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Finally, something positive.

After years of doom-and-gloom forecasts concerning a prolonged lockout between owners and players, there are reports of progress in recent negotiations.

The owners and players aren’t saying much -if anything about Wednesday’s meeting. The only thing they’re conceding is that they’ll meet on Thursday, and will do everything possible to find common ground on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

It’s about time. Hopefully, Commissioner David Stern and Union Head Billy Hunter get something done soon, so the season starts near opening night of November 1st.

--Oly Sandor.

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

According to two sources close to the situation, the NBA and National Basketball Players' Association have agreed to meet again next week. As was the case with Wednesday's six-hour meeting in Manhattan, next week's session is expected to include only a small group of representatives and will likely take place on Wednesday or Thursday. It will be just the third meeting since the lockout began on July 1.

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Commissioner David Stern, deputy commissioner Adam Silver, and San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt, who leads the labor relations committee, will take part, as will players’ association executive director Billy Hunter, union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers and union counsel Ron Klempner, two people told the Associated Press yesterday on condition of anonymity.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Peter Holt, Adam Silver, David Stern, Billy Hunter, and Derek Fisher will be at Wednesday’s meeting between owners and the union.

Five people at the sit-down of all sit-downs. Five people to negotiate the fate of the NBA season.

If Wednesday’s bargaining session goes well then there will be basketball, and the season may even start on time around Halloween.

However, if Wednesday’s bargaining session goes as most expect, poorly, the season will be delayed for months and maybe cancelled.

Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this and these five individuals map out a solution.

The stakes are indeed high at the sit-down of all sit-downs.
 
--Oly Sandor.

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

Like Green, most have negotiated opt-out clauses that would free them to honor existing NBA contracts, or to sign a new one, once the labor impasse is over. “Pretty soon, the whole NBA might be in Europe,” said Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, who says he’s examining overseas options as well.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: DeMarcus Cousins is wrong.

The whole NBA will not cross the Atlantic Ocean for big money in Europe. Most NBA players won’t find work abroad if there isn’t a new collective bargaining agreement.

Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are broke. They have little money, so owners will struggle to pay anything near NBA wages.

Suppose owners could afford to dole out millions for an American player. Would they want to?

After all, the European game is different. Teams and systems are far more important than individuals and statistics.Many American players can't adjust.

And European coaches wouldn’t want a roster of half-committed Yankees’, who were bidding their time until they could return to America.

Cousins and the players shouldn't overplay their hand.

--Oly Sandor.

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

"We all know we'll have to sacrifice but something has to be done," Love told ESPN.com Tuesday night. "It has to be sooner than later. We have to get the ball rolling. We can't wait around until October or November and then nothing gets done. The owners will keep stalling and obviously they have more means than us to lock us out."

"I want to play basketball," Love said. "I want us -- the players -- to sign a great deal. I want us to make a compromise with the owners but not sign what they're proposing. We'll play hardball if we have to. I want there to be an NBA season but it's also apparent that we're going to miss games."

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: The NBA would have a new Collective Bargaining Agreement if more people had Kevin Love's attitude.

Love recognizes that both sides must compromise. And the compromising, known as collective bargaining, must begin as soon as possible. 

The longer the posturing, pointing, and blaming continues, the less likely there's a season.

Love's view supports an interesting idea proposed by Stephen Brotherston of Hoopsworld.com. Brotherston believes the players should make a highly competitive offer to the owners. And they should do it now.

Think about it: the owners know the players will eventually return to the bargaining table. But when?

It might be September. It might be November. Or it might be January. They will return, though. They have to.

Whenever they do return, the owners will dictate the terms of the new CBA. The process won't be easy for the players, as Stern and the owners will extract everything they possibly can from the players. They'll 're-set' the league's financial system and then some.

So why not undercut the owners' leverage by making those concessions today and doing it in the most public manner possible?

Suppose the players gave the owners a 52-48 split of Basketball Related Income. Suppose they found a happy medium between the owners' flex cap and the current luxury tax system. Suppose they agreed to significant salary rollbacks and, say, eliminated the Mid Level Exception and other costly loop holes.

Here's the key: suppose they informed every print/net reporter, radio broadcaster, TV host, and blogger of such concessions. The ball would be in the owners' court; the players would be 'the good guys'.

Something would get done. And that something would be far better for the players than a wait-and-see approach.

--Oly Sandor.

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

"The players actually have been heard to suggest that as well, which was interesting because that means they are suggesting that we eliminate 30 jobs, or the potential for 30 jobs. So we've said to the players, you know, 'Give us the right to contract, let's agree upon what the basis will be. Let's make this deal and then let's continue to look at that subject.'"

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Interesting times.

In recent interviews, Commissioner David Stern has mentioned that owners and players have discussed the forbidden topic of contraction.

A lockout was always on the horizon, however, the fact that owners and players aren’t opposed to eliminating franchises is surprising.

Let’s be real: the league should axe a couple of the weaker franchises. Even with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, certain markets can’t support the NBA.

However, contraction would be costly. The owners would have to pool their money, buy the team(s), and then give the franchise(s) the axe.

Each team would cost a minimum of $250 million. Plus, there’d be complications like lease deals. As Stern mentioned, the toughest part would be identifying the  franchises to cut.

The players would lose 12-15 jobs per each team. And two teams would mean a loss of 24-30 high-paying jobs.

It’s far more likely franchises are moved. Seattle, if they get a new arena, is a hoops-hotbed. Kansas City already has a shiny, state-of-the-art facility. All they need is a team.

It’s a sign of how far the once-mighty NBA has fallen that players, owners, and even Commissioner Stern are talking contraction.

--Oly Sandor.

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

"If Labor Day comes and goes without us ready to huddle in and kiss off our Labor Day weekend to make this deal, then we may be headed to a bad place," Stern said.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Find a calendar and jiffy marker. Now circle Labour Day weekend.

NBA Commissioner David Stern identified the September holiday as a key date for owners and players to make progress on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Stern also told ESPN’s Bill Simmons things would get ugly if there was no headway by September because owners would reduce their offer to compensate for lost revenue from cancelled exhibition matches.

Say what you like about Stern's comments. At least there’s now urgency to negotiations.

Players and owners have spent the previous 43 days (the lockout began July 1st) posturing, blaming, and doing nothing.

One way or another, we’ll know if the lockout has any chance of getting resolved.

--Oly Sandor.

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

“I expect that we’ll make a deal because the alternative is very destructive,” he said. “It’s destructive of $2 billion worth of player salaries and it’s destructive most important to our fans of the game. And if it spirals badly everyone gets hurt. But in some ways I worry because the players have more to lose, especially those in the later stages of their career. So we’re going to do everything we can when the rhetoric slows down to get this thing back on track.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Ah David, if you want to save the season you must meet the other side to, you know, negotiate.

Recently Commissioner David Stern declared that the 2012 NBA season wouldn’t get cancelled and that players and owners would agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

This seems wishful. Especially since players and owners are blaming each other for cancelling the bargaining sessions to negotiate that new CBA.

The time to save the season is now, as they've spent 45 days posturing since the lockout began on July 1st. 

Meanwhile, the United States has been through a ‘credit crisis’ and the world economy has been on a rollercoaster ride that impacts every person.

Meanwhile, millionaire players and billionaire owners look awful arguing about their share of revenue from a game. Insincere statements from commissioners also ring hollow with the public.

At some point, players and owners will agree on a CBA. We’ll eventually get basketball. However, the damage will be done.

--Oly Sandor.

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

NBA commissioner David Stern will not collect on his eight-figure salary during the ongoing lockout, according to sources with knowledge of Stern's pay status.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: August isn't the time to blink. Not when the owners haven’t written a cheque. And not when the players haven’t missed a cheque.

So Commissioner Stern and the owners have gone to court and accused the union of negotiating in bad faith. And Union Head Billy Hunter has responded by saying the owners are negotiating in bad faith.

Now The Commish is refusing to take a salary while the league is locked-out, which is quite the 'sacrifice' given the amount he’s earned over his career. 

It’s all posturing for what is to follow. Games will be at risk if the next set of negotiations fail. But that’s in a month or so.

The charade can continue in early August. The owners and players have sufficient time to stand, point, and blame. And the only people smiling are, of course, the lawyers.

--Oly Sandor.

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

The NBA has filed an unfair labour practice charge and a federal lawsuit against the NBA Players Association, accusing the players of failing to bargain “in good faith” and of “impermissible pressure tactics” in labour talks.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The he-said, she-said just got uglier.

This morning the gloves came off when Stern and the owners filed an unfair labour practice charge against the Players Union for failing to negotiate ‘in good faith’.

Apparently, the owners didn’t like the players threatening to dissolve their union like the NFL and are hoping a federal court will make sure the lockout doesn’t break anti-trust laws.

I’m not a lawyer. Neither are you. I do know this lockout is getting nasty. A resolution, and the playing of basketball, does not seem on the horizon.

--Oly Sandor.

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

“The one thing about basketball is it’s a global sport now, so you can play anywhere you want to.

“As far as myself, I just train. I just train and be prepared for anybody that calls, whether the NBA starts again or a team in Europe or a team here in China decides to call, then I’ll be ready…. (Kobe Bryant).

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They both have their bluffs.

Right now, the NBA is locked-out, which means owners and players are doing anything and everything to gain leverage when negotiations begin.

Take the owners. They’re crying poor and claiming incredible losses. And they’re threatening to shut-down the season unless the players accept some form of a hard cap.

Will 30 billionaires really shut-down the NBA for 2011-12? Will they kill the momentum the league gained in 2010-11?

Well, this is the owners’ bluff. This is the card Commissioner Stern, Mark Cuban, and Michael Jordan have. Of course, the players have their bluff, too.

NBA superstars, like Kobe Bryant, are threatening to take their talent abroad. Possible destinations: Europe and China. Will Bryant, who is used to first-class treatment, really ride busses, stay in second-rate hotels, and deal with mediocre facilities just to prove a point?

Well, this is the players' bluff. Bryant and his brethren are making sure the owners know they have options. Even if those options don't appear especially attractive.

--Oly Sandor

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

While this would be a dream scenario for Maccabi and all Jewish basketball fans, Amare's agent, Happy Walters, doesn't see it happening.  "I don't think anyone is thinking about playing overseas at this point – certainly not Amar'e," he said.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Just a hunch. Amar’e Stoudemire likes attention.

He did give himself nicknames of ‘Standing Tall And Talented’ and 'Black Jesus'. There are his Craig Sager inspired outfits and demand to participate in The Great Free Agent Summit of 2010. And he's in the midst of a rather public relationship with Ciara, the pop singer.

More recently, Stoudemire has gone back-on-forth via twitter about whether to ‘take his talent’ abroad during the lockout or stay in America.

Each day brings something new. First, it was Europe, and then China, and then Israel. As expected, Stoudemire and/or his agent, Happy Walters, tell the world he’s sticking around New York.

In-house staff of the NBA and National Basketball Players Association will hold their first meeting Friday since the league imposed a lockout July 1, a person with knowledge of the plans told CBSSports.com.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: This is what it has come to -a meeting to schedule a meeting.

Today, the players and owners are having a sit-down of sorts, however, there’s no reason to get excited. Only mid-level executives are meeting; no Billy Hunter, no David Stern.

The only issue on the agenda is arranging a time and place for future, formal bargaining sessions. There will be no mention of the salary cap, revenue sharing, and splitting the Basketball Related Income.

At this rate, the lockout will never be solved. And there will never be basketball.

--Oly Sandor.

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

Marca: If you play overseas, I have the hunch that you would choose China rather than Europe?

Dwight Howard: Yes, I think China has more options.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Forget his goofy grins, whacky imitations, and bad jokes. Dwight Howard is smart –smarter than most of his NBA brethren.

Instead of taking his talent to Europe during the NBA lockout, Howard has his eyes on the prize: China. Playing in the land of Yao, Howard would get a handsome salary and opportunity to promote his brand. 

There’s no guarantee Howard, or any NBA star, receives a cent in Europe. Owners in Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are known for not honouring player contracts -and this was before the financial crisis.

Bottom line: there’s no money for NBA stars in Europe. Plying their trade on the other side of the Atlantic isn’t so simple.

First, the money is scarce –even in Turkey. A sponsor, not the team, is paying Deron Williams’ $5 million salary, private driver, personal chef, and business assistant. This deal will not be available for other American superstars.

Second, the overseas game is different. In Europe, the coach and system matters more than players, while the NBA is, and always has been, a players’ league. As crazy as it sounds, an NBA superstar, like Howard, wouldn’t automatically dominate with a European club.

Third, Europe wouldn’t be a vacation. Training camp involves mountain running, weights, and multiple practices each day. Few, if any, NBA superstars would tolerate such rigours, especially if they’re returning once the lockout is settled.

Finally, European clubs won’t want American superstars. Suppose a club signs Howard. Suppose Howard plays for three months, only to return to the NBA in January when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is signed.

That club has used a roster spot on Howard. Signing a replacement for Howard would be complicated. And they’d have to mesh his replacement into their system-based approach.

China doesn’t have Europe’s complications: the world’s strongest economy is plush with money, so first-class salaries and perks are available; elites would be given a forum to shine on-and-off court in Shanghai or Beijing; China wouldn’t put its ‘guests’ through torturous training and there’d be an open-door policy.

Don’t let Howard’s outgoing nature fool you. He's wisely leaning towards China during the lockout. Others can learn from him.

--Oly Sandor.

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

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Right now, NBA owners and players can't find a way to split $4 billion in annual revenues.

If this seems petty, it's because it is. Especially when compared to the plight of those participating in a basketball camp in South Sudan, the world's newest nation.

Fortunately, Luol Deng, a Sudanese immigrant and small forward for the Chicago Bulls, appears to have his head on straight. Perhaps, others associated with the NBA can return to reality –and soon.

Click the video provided by Yahoo, watch Deng in action as camp counsellor in South Sudan, and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below. 

--Oly Sandor.

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

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Right now, everyone is comparing the lockout of 2010-11 to the lockout of 1998-99.

Fair enough.

We still prefer the game of basketball to the business of basketball. So here’s a video montage of the top plays of that 1998-99 season (thanks to dimemag for the clip).

Hopefully, the entire 2011-12 season isn`t cancelled. Hopefully, there are highlights.

--Oly Sandor.

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

Recently our big brothers at CraveOnline caught up with Deron Williams at SXSW and pressed him for his thoughts on the impending lockout and the parallels he sees between the NBA and NFL's respective situations. Check out the video below and let us know what you think by dropping a comment at the bottom of the page.