[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
USA Today Look At The Lockout
Tuesday, November 3, 1998
Players sidelined by lockout
The NBA is FAN-tastic.
That famous National Basketball Association calling
card rings hollow these days. The game is
fan-nothing.
NBA arenas are dark. Tonight, there will be no Shaq
attacks, Iverson crossovers or Bulls championship
ring ceremonies.
The league, which until now had been the model for
labor sensibility and stability, is not starting its
season on time. The owners and players have stubbed
their toes in trying to decide how to divvy up the
nearly $2 billion in revenue they generate each
season.
The collective bargaining dispute and subsequent
lockout have resulted in the first work stoppage in
NBA history. After 52 years and 35,001 consecutive
games, there is no NBA basketball being played when
it should be played. The first month of the season
already has been canceled as the two sides try to
come up with a contract, and more cancellations are
expected if an agreement isn't reached this week.
Representatives of the two sides have talked the last
few days in New York, but an immediate settlement
isn't expected. No matter when play begins,
considerable damage to the league and its image
already has left a sour taste with fans.
''Both sides are wrong,'' says Chad Stokes of
Detroit, a fan of the Pistons. ''I'm a basketball fan
and I want to see basketball. I couldn't care less if
Patrick Ewing makes $20 million or gets a pay cut to
$15 million, or some owner only makes $150 million
instead of $200 million. It's crazy. Don't they know
how stupid they sound arguing over amounts of money
most of us will never see in 10 lifetimes? Do they
really think the fans care about any of that stuff?''
The players aren't getting paid, but the owners are
still collecting their national television rights
fees — a combined $470 million from NBC and Turner
for this season — even though no games are being
televised.
Referees, who are full-time employees of the league,
were paid in October even though they had no games to
work and their contract does not guarantee pay during
a work stoppage. Some of the officials will work
Continental Basketball Association games when its
season begins Nov. 13.
The fans, meanwhile, will get their money back for
games not played. Season-ticket holders will receive
cash refunds, plus 6% interest, for all preseason and
regular-season cancellations. Anyone with individual
game tickets can get a cash refund or a rain check.
The two sides have agreed in principle on a number of
issues. Among them: increased salary minimums, adding
marijuana to the list of banned substances, stiffer
penalties for player misconduct and a new deal that
gives teams the right of first refusal when a
rookie's original contract expires.
Both sides also have been receptive to imposition of
a luxury tax/escrow system that would keep in place
the so-called Larry Bird exception, which allows a
team to re-sign its veteran free agents regardless of
the impact on its salary cap.
The main issue still to be resolved is what
percentage of revenues, estimated at $200 million for
the season, each side will get. The players want 60%;
the owners are willing to give them 50%.
The Jordan factor
Before the labor dispute forced cancellation of
games, the biggest question going into the season was
supposed to be whether Michael Jordan would return to
the champion Chicago Bulls and bring free agents
Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman with him.
Jordan has been one of the more vocal union leaders,
sounding like a man who still wants to play.
But, on whether he will play or retire, Jordan says,
''My mind is still open. I haven't made my decision,
but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be a part of the
union. This work stoppage isn't our fault. We're
willing to work.''
Jordan is one of nearly 200 free agents not signed to
a contract. Teams have not been permitted contact
with any player since July 1, when the lockout went
into effect, and they will need 3-4 weeks after a new
agreement is reached with the union to sign players
and set rosters.
Other key free agents are centers Vlade Divac, Rik
Smits, Isaac Austin and Luc Longley; forwards Jayson
Williams, Charles Barkley, Antonio McDyess, Tom
Gugliotta, Christian Laettner and Joe Smith; and
guards Damon Stoudamire, Rod Strickland, Jimmy
Jackson and Rex Chapman.
With no team-supervised workouts allowed during the
lockout, players are on their own to get in shape,
and with no preseason planned after a short training
camp once an agreement is reached, some teams are
obviously in better shape than others.
Utah and San Antonio are teams on solid ground.
Utah has only two free agents — Antoine Carr and
Chris Morris — and is a veteran team that has been
together a long time, making it to the NBA Finals the
past two seasons.
The Spurs' three key players — Avery Johnson, David
Robinson and Tim Duncan — have been working out
together, under Johnson's direction, for the past
three months in Houston. Weight training and other
conditioning drills are part of their workouts. It's
as close to an NBA training camp as one can find
these days.
Then there are teams like Phoenix and Chicago, with
no idea what their rosters will look like this
season. Jason Kidd and Danny Manning are the only
Suns players under contract. And the Bulls, with a
new director of basketbal operations (coach if Phil
Jackson doesn't return), Tim Floyd, have only signed
Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, Randy Brown and Keith Booth.
A return of Pippen, Rodman and Longley depends a lot
on Jordan's decision.
Taking care of business
Teams may not have contact with players, but they
have taken care of other business. There are new
coaches in Milwaukee (George Karl coming over from
Seattle), Denver (Mike D'Antoni), Seattle (Paul
Westphal) and Sacramento (Rick Adelman). The Los
Angeles Clippers still don't have a head coach.
Lakers vice president and general manager Jerry West
signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract, and Tim
Grgurich became one of the highest-paid assistant
coaches in league history, signing a $750,000-a-year
deal with Portland.
For players, meanwhile, Houston has become the hot
gathering spot during the lockout. They even run a
league at the Westside Tennis Center, attracting such
stars as Shaquille O'Neal, Duncan, Robinson, Nick Van
Exel, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ron Mercer.
The players organized a charity game a week and a
half ago, and Anfernee Hardaway, Mario Elie, Tim
Hardaway, McDyess, Stoudamire and Van Exel were among
those who drew about 7,000 to Hofheinz Pavilion at
the University of Houston.
A number of players have been busy off the court as
well.
O'Neal appeared on Saturday Night Live. Pippen led
the Wrigley Field crowd in singing Take Me Out to the
Ball Game at a Chicago Cubs playoff game. Karl Malone
has a Los Angeles radio talk show.
Miami coach Pat Riley was voted Most Stylish Man of
the Year by readers of GQ. Jordan, and Rodman
appeared on MTV's Celebrity Death Match (with the
claymation Jordan winning).
Vernon Maxwell filed for bankruptcy. Latrell Sprewell
sued his former agent for not putting a salary
protection clause in his contract.
And Grant Hill got engaged to R&B singer Tamia.
So business is still going on, after all.
It just isn't quite the kind of business we were
hoping for this time of year.
By David DuPree, USA TODAY
©COPYRIGHT 1998 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co.
Inc.