Heinsohn Once Again Blasts The Players

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                 [The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]

                 [Boston Globe Online / Sports]

                 SPORTVIEW
                 His call: It's foul

                 Heinsohn takes NBA fiasco personally

                 By Howard Manly, Globe Staff, 11/22/98
                 Don't get Tommy Heinsohn started on the NBA
                 lockout.

                 Within 15 minutes, the former players' union leader
                 described the so-called negotiations as ''sheer
                 stupidity,'' ''foolish,'' and ''ridiculous.''

                ''The league makes $2 billion a year in revenues and
                 owners are willing to give the players 50 percent of
                 that,'' Heinsohn said. ''You mean to tell me they can't
                 figure out a way to divvy up $1 billion among 350
                 players?''

                 Heinsohn is no fool. The NBA has been the greatest gravy
                 train for athletes this century, and the lockout has come
                 to symbolize the sheer greed of professional sports. The
                 owners are not blameless, but no other major employer
                 pays its employees 57 percent of total revenues. The
                 players are living on Fantasy Island, and still want
                 more. They want 60 percent of the till.
                  
                 Heinsohn realizes that this is a different era. Bob Cousy
                 founded the first NBA union and Heinsohn was president
                 from 1957-65. Their first issue was the use of trainers;
                 in those days, players had to tape their own ankles and
                 knees. The only money issue was a pension. The main issue
                 was management's recognition of the union.

                 It sounds funny now, but the players weren't going to
                 play in the 1964 All-Star Game at Boston Garden until
                 their demands were met. There was a blizzard that night,
                 and players were arriving just an hour before game time.
                 Heinsohn met with each of them and told them what was
                 going to happen. ''None of us were coming out,'' Heinsohn
                 said.
                 
                 They eventually did, but only after NBA commissioner
                 Walter Kennedy agreed to recognize the union and promised
                 to meet the players' demands.
               
                 That was a different day. Heinsohn is quick to point out
                 that the modern-day marquee players - Larry Bird, Magic
                 Johnson, Michael Jordan - seldom if ever thought about
                 the union during their heyday. ''They were all about
                 `me,''' Heinsohn said.

                 In fact, Jordan and Patrick Ewing wanted to have the
                 union decertified three years ago. Their efforts were
                 defeated.
                   
                 ''Union stuff never concerned the marquee players,''
                 Heinsohn said. ''So you would have a guy like Buck
                 Williams trying to get a Jordan to help out, and it just
                 wasn't going to work.''
                  
                 All of that has changed, largely as a result of
                 super-agent David Falk. Two of his clients are Ewing and
                 Jordan and, all of a sudden, they are now union men.
                 ''It's just obnoxious to me,'' said Heinsohn. ''You can't
                 have a system where one or two guys are making all of the
                 money on the team. Owners are forced these days to pay
                 for potential rather than reality, and there's something
                 amiss.
                 ''Fifty percent is more than fair. It's passed the point
                 of being fair. It's sheer stupidity. They are hurting the
                 game. For the first time, someone is telling these kids
                 no and they don't know how to deal with it. It's getting
                 to the point where the league might have to let a couple
                 of teams fall by the wayside, and then the players will
                 get the message.''

                 Don't get him wrong. Heinsohn wants players to get what
                 they can. But never to the point of jeopardizing the
                 league. Nor to the point where fans simply don't care
                 anymore. 
                 <snip>


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