I was hoping that they would have reached an agreement with the owners and the NBA, but it looks like it’s not happening. The NBA players has decided to disband their union and file an anti-trust suit against the league. For all of the NBA fans that only know a small part of the story here are the details;
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After the two sides last week discussed a 72-game season starting Dec. 15, the doomsday scenario of an entire NBA season going up in smoke was raised Monday by commissioner David Stern, after players decided to disband their union and file an antitrust lawsuit against the league as talks broke down over a new collective bargaining agreement.
In moving the dispute to the courts, the players have hired high-powered attorney David Boies to be on their legal dream team as they seek to prove that the NBA’s lockout is illegal, while suing for several billion dollars in damages.
Players took the drastic action of “disclaiming” for the first time in their history after more than two years of bargaining got them nowhere with owners, who imposed the lockout on July 1 and have been driving a hard bargain while seeking radical changes in the league’s economic system.
“This deal could have been and should have been done, but we’ve given and given and given,” NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter said after 50 players, including all 30 team representatives, met for four hours in Manhattan. “The owners got to the place where they reached for too much and the players decided to push back. It was totally unfair and it was more about surrendering than getting a good deal.”
The league already has its own court case against the union being heard in federal court in Brooklyn, claiming that the lockout is legal and charging that the union has not negotiated in good faith since talks started in September 2009. Once players made their move, Stern went on the attack.
“We’re about to go into the nuclear winter of the NBA and it’s very sad,” Stern said. “Billy Hunter has decided to put the season in jeopardy and deprive his players of an enormous payday. It’s just a big charade, a negotiating tactic. It’s not gong to work. They seem to be hell-bent on destruction. We were very close (to a deal) and the players decided to blow it up.”
Players rejected the owners’ latest proposal, including all six key “system” issue demands dealing with how money will be split. Owners want to place restrictions on the big-spending teams and players believe those will limit their free-agent options.-
NYD
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I guess Europe and other countries might be fighting to sign the NBA players now. How many people are going to miss the NBA season?
