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New Sam Smith Column
Posted at 11:41 p.m. EST
Monday, December 7, 1998
NBA labor dispute can't get
much more ridiculous
By SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune
So how ridiculous is the NBA
labor dispute?
It's a high-profile
disagreement promising big
media coverage and involving
racially polarized groups --
predominantly black players and
white owners.
And even Jesse Jackson refuses
to get involved.
That's how hopeless these two
sides are.
Actually, some high-profile
people have been sought as
potential mediators even as the
NBA has rejected union
proposals for mediation.
One person approached was
ex-NBA star and former U.S.
Sen. Bill Bradley. Do you think
he wants to wreck his potential
presidential candidacy by
getting involved in this no-win
fight?
And now the players are holding
a ``charity'' game to help
support the ``neediest'' among
them. The least anyone earned
to play a full season in the
NBA last year was $250,000,
almost 10 times the average
annual income of an American
family.
Of course, each owner is
receiving more than $20 million
this season from the league's
new TV contract, more than
double the previous amount.
They're doing just fine, thank
you.
But they all are heading for
disaster if this season is
lost.
The general feeling is that the
lockout will end within minutes
of the planned cancellation of
the season, which now appears
to be about Jan. 1. Most labor
disputes are settled this way.
The thinking is that scores of
players are on the verge of
losing their careers with so
many (cheaper) college kids
ready to come into the NBA, but
that the owners cannot take a
lost season either. In part,
that's because the draft would
be in question without a
collective-bargaining
agreement. Moreover, rights to
the 1998 draft class could be
lost because if rookies don't
play for a year after their
draft, they go back into the
draft.
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How many games is a season?
Consider that last season after
41 games, the same 16 teams
that ended up making the
playoffs would have qualified
for the playoffs then. The last
41 games were played for
playoff positioning -- and huge
ticket and TV revenue.
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Coach Mike: If Michael Jordan
should coach (he's not playing)
in that NBA exhibition game
Dec. 19 in Atlantic City, he
could say he's a more
experienced NBA coach than Tim
Floyd. And if Jordan doesn't
even appear, which seems
likely, that's a huge slap at
agent David Falk. Could it be
Jordan is dumping Falk, who was
portrayed as the problem for
Jordan at Jordan's recent movie
trial in Chicago?
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Big losers: Perhaps the biggest
loser among the players is
former Bull and Knick Charles
Oakley, who was to collect his
$10 million ``balloon'' payment
this season. And he's unlikely
to get another big contract.
Other players in the final year
of contracts and not expected
to get major deals again are
Mark Price, $5.4 million;
Stojko Vrankovic, $4.1 million;
Bobby Hurley, $4 million; Brian
Shaw, $3.4 million; Grant Long,
$3 million; Chuck Person, $2.8
million; Muggsy Bogues, $2.8
million; B.J. Armstrong, $2.8
million; Haywoode Workman, $1.4
million, and Randy Brown, $1.3
million.
X X X
This and that: Philadelphia
coach Larry Brown started a
family with his second wife
after turning 50. And Portland
assistant Bill Musselman, 58,
became a new father in
September with his second wife,
Julie. . . . Golden State
insiders say the team's top
priority, even before dumping
Latrell Sprewell, is to re-sign
former Bull Jason Caffey. Coach
P.J. Carlesimo visited Caffey
before the lockout went into
effect and the Warriors say
they are looking at Caffey as a
leader of their team. . . . The
Warriors also were told they
won't get anyone like P.J.
Brown from Miami for Sprewell
and may end up with the Knicks'
Chris Childs and John Starks. .
. . Step 1 of players' revenge
went into effect Friday in one
of the players' exhibition
games, scheduled by Tim
Hardaway in Miami. In protest
of NBC-TV's decision to pay the
league during the lockout, the
players refused to do
one-on-one interviews with the
local NBC affiliate.
So what's this labor dispute
all about? Consider that
through last season, Michael
Jordan earned about $92 million
from the Bulls in 14 years. At
the end of Kevin Garnett's
contract, in nine seasons, he
will have earned $131.6
million. And based on the
Timberwolves' attendance last
year, $18.95 of every ticket
sold would have gone to pay
Garnett's salary this season.
But take heart: He's losing
about $83,000 a day in the
lockout. . . . And more bad
news for the Timberwolves: In
the players' meetings, Stephon
Marbury has been among the most
vocal demanding that the union
not accept any sort of cap that
could limit earnings on the top
players. . . . Portland's Damon
Stoudamire is one of a large
number of players eager to play
and claims a deep understanding
of the game. Said Stoudamire:
``I mean, why did James
Naismith invent this game?
Because it's boring in
winter.''
X X X
(Sam Smith is a sports
columnist for the Chicago
Tribune. Write to him at:
Chicago Tribune, 435 North
Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
60611.)
X X X
(c) 1998, Chicago Tribune.
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