[Sun-Sentinel] [sports]
[Michael Mayo]
To Russell, lockout begs a compromise
December 03, 1998
Bill Russell is not one of those
grumpy old players who curses fate for
being born 30 years too soon. He says he
wouldn't trade a minute of his legendary
NBA career, the one that included 11
championships in 13 years with the Boston
Celtics and concluded with him making "a
few hundred thousand" in 1969, 100 times
less than the $30 million Michael Jordan
made last year leading the Chicago Bulls to
their sixth measly title.
As someone who helped found the NBA
players union in 1964, Russell doesn't mind
the way times and salaries have changed. He
doesn't begrudge rookies collecting absurd
sums before their first shot, although he
made $25,000 as the No. 3 draft pick in
1956.
"Back then, you could buy a Cadillac
for $2,500," Russell said on Wednesday.
"The fact they've got $2-3 billion to
divide up now, makes me feel good about
what I did. We helped grow this sport."
He is slightly bothered by the lack of
historical perspective around today's game.
Russell once played golf with a current NBA
player who said, "I heard you won a lot of
championships, but I didn't think what they
said was right. How many did you really
win?" He explained about winning 11, eight
straight from 1959-66, and being a
five-time MVP.
What Russell does mind, as a diehard
basketball fan, is the NBA's disappearance.
"I miss the games," he said.
No heroes here
Russell might be in the minority.
It's been a month (or two missed paychecks,
for those keeping score) since the NBA
lockout started claiming real games. Let's
face it, not many people are losing sleep.
Neither side engenders sympathy (one
magazine called it "a dispute between the
filthy rich and the stinking rich"). Hoops
fans shrug, flip the remote and settle for
Utah-Fresno State.
So when negotiations resume in New
York today, both sides better bring a sense
of urgency. The 24-second clock is off. The
real clock is winding down.
"I just hope they get it done fairly
soon," said Russell, who'll be in Weston on
Saturday at Rich Altman's Sports
Collectibles, part of an effort to make his
name known again among the young. "They're
getting close to that point of diminishing
returns. For both sides, I hate to see that
money go to waste, because you can never
make it up. The only way the league can
come back with a vengeance is with
cooperation and trust."
Russell tells the story about the
union's formation. When teammate Bob Cousy
went to owners meetings to ask for union
recognition, "they wouldn't even talk to
him." So the players pulled a wildcat
strike at the 1964 All-Star Game.
Stars found a way
"Our contracts were only for
regular-season games," Russell said. "We
said we wouldn't play the All-Star Game
unless they recognized the union. We
delayed the game for 45 minutes. The ABC
people were going crazy. The owners said
they wouldn't recognize the union that
night, but if we played the game they would
at the end of the season. It took trust on
our part, but at the end of the season they
did."
Russell, who lives in Seattle, worries
about the current stalemate.
"It looks like the level of trust
isn't there, each side is digging in," said
Russell, 64, who's seen the NBA from all
angles: Hall of Fame center, broadcaster,
coach, general manager. "When both sides
are locked into a position, compromise is
difficult because it's seen as surrender.
What they have to do is change the language
so compromise is not a bad word. It's the
art of getting something done without
anybody losing face."
Russell hopes cool heads and reason
can prevail, just like 35 years ago. If
owners want to pay 50 percent and the
players want to get 60 percent, it doesn't
take a rocket scientist to figure out the
compromise is 55 percent, along with some
creative thinking about caps for rookies
and free agents.
"Basically it's not about greed,
because the fixed amount of money is
there," Russell said. "It's about how to
divide it up."
With time running out, owners and
players better get their processes into
gear.
Copyright 1998, Sun-Sentinel Co. and South Florida
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