The National Basketball League remains locked out long past the time the season should have begun. While signs of progress have been seen in recent negotiations, the standoff between the NBA’s owners and the Player’s Association has continued with little to no progress over the course of the summer and into the fall. Weeks of the season have already been cancelled.
One of the main points of conflict in the debate is the distribution of BRI, or basketball related income. The ratio is currently weighted 57/43 in favor of the players. The owners are demanding a significant change in this ratio, proposing a 50/50 split.
If the union accepted the proposed 50/50 deal, over 10 years the players could stand to lose over $3 billion in salary, according to ESPN’s Ian O’Connor.
Neither side has budged on the issue. The players continue to point out that they, not the owners, are the ones who actually put on the show that garners all the money being fought over.
“What I’m always telling the players is that nobody comes to see an owner dribble or bounce a basketball,” said the National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter. “These are the best 450 players on the globe, and they’re not replaceable. Without them, there is no game.”
University of Maryland students agree. “It’s really pretty ridiculous that the owners are holding out like this. I can’t believe that [Commissioner] David Stern is letting all this money waste while they fight about it,” said Derek Dechant, a junior engineering major.
Mike Gasper, a junior journalism major, also expressed his disappointment. “It’s just really a shame…they were coming off one of the most exciting seasons in league history and had so much momentum going into the season. Let’s just hope they can right the ship before it’s too late.”
Even President Obama has expressed his disappointment about loss of games and potential loss of the season, most recently in an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.
“They need to remind themselves that the reason they are so successful is because a whole bunch of folks out there love basketball. Basketball has actually done well, but these types of lockouts take a long time to recover from,” explained Obama.