Most foks thought it would come to this, no one really wanted it to though.
Yesterday at around 2 P.M. The NBA Players Association announced via press conference that they have rejected that latest collective bargaining proposal from the NBA owners. They also announced that all 30 team representatives voted unanimously to send a 'disclaimer letter' to the NBA saying that the union is dissolved immmediately and they are now the NBA Trade Association. The NBATA plans to file an anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA within the next 48 hours.
In other words, the nuclear button has been pressed & the warhead is cruising towards the remainder of the 2011-12 season.
Now while a disclaimer letter is a more immediate version of what union decertification is, it isn't as definitive. Disclaimers allow a union not only to dissolve, but to return quickly with a vote. This may prove useful for folks hanging on to the sliver of hope that a season is still feasible.
However, this situation can get completely out of control in a hurry. Here's a few examples:
1.) Various reports are already stating that many team representatives voted for the nuclear option without consulting rank & file members. A countersuit is possible.
2.) One of the biggest assets that David Stern has for the owners is his ability to extort cities into taking the brunt of the costs of building new arenas with threatening relocation. This development can destroy that for Stern. He may not only face lawyers from the NBATA, but also the cities of Charlotte, Sacramento, Orlando, and New Orleans among others. Hell, Seattle might join in for old time's sake.
3.) The owners will be forced to open their books, something their NFL counterparts tried to avoid at all cost. This might expose a good amount of owners that are crying poor.
4.) The NBA might lose the casual fan for a generation.
Reason #4 is the most important for both sides. Basketball more than most major sports in the US relies on casual fans. Losing them would cripple the league to possible extinction.
No side is clean in this debacle. All share some amount of blame.
The owners are at fault for letting their greed overtake the fact that they won this round. Around $3 billion in revenue shifted from players to owners during negotiations. That is a win in any industry. The owners let it come to this however.
The players are at fault for lack of unity and cohesion. Throughout this ordeal it was clear that they were fractured. That gave hard line owners enough leverage to stick to their guns. The union also did a terrible job on the PR front. They could have let players like Steve Nash be their mouthpiece, but they didn't.
Stern is at fault for making too many promises. It is widely known that Stern woowed potential owners with the promise that the next CBA would favor them. Now those owners are pushing for their deal. He had lost much influence to people like Dan Gilbert & Michael Jordan.
Now that this is moving from the negotiating table to the courtroom it can end one of two ways.
Either, like in the NFL lockout, both sides keep meeting via lawyers & come to a deal...or both sides dig in & possibly kill the league using the court as execution grounds.
Only the parties involved will decide which road they will take.
Lord have mercy.
Yesterday at around 2 P.M. The NBA Players Association announced via press conference that they have rejected that latest collective bargaining proposal from the NBA owners. They also announced that all 30 team representatives voted unanimously to send a 'disclaimer letter' to the NBA saying that the union is dissolved immmediately and they are now the NBA Trade Association. The NBATA plans to file an anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA within the next 48 hours.
In other words, the nuclear button has been pressed & the warhead is cruising towards the remainder of the 2011-12 season.
Now while a disclaimer letter is a more immediate version of what union decertification is, it isn't as definitive. Disclaimers allow a union not only to dissolve, but to return quickly with a vote. This may prove useful for folks hanging on to the sliver of hope that a season is still feasible.
However, this situation can get completely out of control in a hurry. Here's a few examples:
1.) Various reports are already stating that many team representatives voted for the nuclear option without consulting rank & file members. A countersuit is possible.
2.) One of the biggest assets that David Stern has for the owners is his ability to extort cities into taking the brunt of the costs of building new arenas with threatening relocation. This development can destroy that for Stern. He may not only face lawyers from the NBATA, but also the cities of Charlotte, Sacramento, Orlando, and New Orleans among others. Hell, Seattle might join in for old time's sake.
3.) The owners will be forced to open their books, something their NFL counterparts tried to avoid at all cost. This might expose a good amount of owners that are crying poor.
4.) The NBA might lose the casual fan for a generation.
Reason #4 is the most important for both sides. Basketball more than most major sports in the US relies on casual fans. Losing them would cripple the league to possible extinction.
No side is clean in this debacle. All share some amount of blame.
The owners are at fault for letting their greed overtake the fact that they won this round. Around $3 billion in revenue shifted from players to owners during negotiations. That is a win in any industry. The owners let it come to this however.
The players are at fault for lack of unity and cohesion. Throughout this ordeal it was clear that they were fractured. That gave hard line owners enough leverage to stick to their guns. The union also did a terrible job on the PR front. They could have let players like Steve Nash be their mouthpiece, but they didn't.
Stern is at fault for making too many promises. It is widely known that Stern woowed potential owners with the promise that the next CBA would favor them. Now those owners are pushing for their deal. He had lost much influence to people like Dan Gilbert & Michael Jordan.
Now that this is moving from the negotiating table to the courtroom it can end one of two ways.
Either, like in the NFL lockout, both sides keep meeting via lawyers & come to a deal...or both sides dig in & possibly kill the league using the court as execution grounds.
Only the parties involved will decide which road they will take.
Lord have mercy.
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