Walker:
anxious ear to
NBA talks
by Steve
Bulpett
10/29/98
NEW YORK --
Antoine Walker
looked ill at
ease when he
emerged from a
meeting
between the
players union
and the NBA's
Labor
Relations
Committee.
He was wearing
a suit instead
of a
basketball
uniform, and
that was a
foreign
feeling on
Oct.28.
"I'm missing
it," the
Celtics
captain said
as he stood
amid the swirl
of collective
bargaining
madness
yesterday.
"I'm missing
it bad. I'm
dying to play.
I just hope we
don't lose the
whole season."
As the
leadership of
the two sides
went off to
meet further,
Walker was
sure of only
one thing:
that he didn't
have games to
play.
After playing
all 82 games
in each of his
first two
seasons,
Walker's ears
were tuned to
the labor
rhetoric, but
his eyes were
focused on
getting back
to work.
"I'm just
trying to stay
in the best
shape
possible,"
Walker said.
"I've been
working
individually,
and we have a
good run back
at home in
pickup games."
Ironically,
the players
and owners are
playing the
game of
Walker's
financial life
here.
Under the
system in
place, the
Celtics
forward would
have been
eligible this
offseason to
sign a
contract
extension of
up to six
years.
Considering
what's been
set in the
marketplace,
he could have
been looking
at something
in the
vicinity of
$100 million
for that term.
If he and the
Celts had been
unable to work
out a deal,
Walker would
have been an
unrestricted
free agent
next summer.
"There's a lot
at stake for
me," he said.
"They're
trying to put
a limit on how
much that I
can make.
"The guys in
my class are
the ones that
are kind of in
line next to
get our market
value, and
that's all you
really want
out of this is
your market
value.
"The veteran
guys have
talked a lot
about taking
care of the
younger guys
and making
sure they have
the
opportunity to
get what the
older players
have been able
to get through
the years," he
added.
With much
talking still
to be done
yesterday,
Walker didn't
see a clear
road to an
agreement with
the owners.
"It's tough,"
he said. "Both
sides are
standing firm
on what they
want, and
nobody's
giving in. The
players are
going to stay
together and
we're not
going to give
in on any type
of hard cap.
"Right now
it's difficult
for everyone.
The owners are
saying they're
not making
enough money,
that they're
paying out
more money
than they're
taking in.
"And right now
the players
are having a
hard time
believing
that. We have
to make sure
we don't get
caught in a
hard cap."
However, it
may be too
late for the
players to
avoid the
wrath of the
fans.
"It's very
hard," Walker
admitted, "but
what I'd hope
the fans would
understand is
that the
players are
trying to get
their market
value and that
we're the
product. We're
the ones going
out there and
performing and
doing what we
can do to make
the league
strong.
"We're not
trying to be
selfish at
all, but the
owners are
saying it's a
business thing
for them -- so
it's a
business thing
for us, too.
We're not
trying to
break the
bank, but we
want to be
smart about
our business,
too.
"We're just
looking for a
way where both
sides can win.
We don't want
to see one
side or the
other get beat
on this. What
we have to do
is come up
with a
solution where
both sides can
benefit."