Archive for November, 2011

NEW YORK — In case you forgot all about it due to the mega media attention drawn to State College and Penn State, the NBA broke talks tonight some seven hours after David Stern’s 5pm deadline. There is mixed emotions about this but there seems to be a sentiment of no progress felt by both sides as the meetings break. NBA Player’s President Derek Fischer sounded optimistic in his press conference that a deal can be made by tomorrow as the two sides will resume their meetings at noon. The problem lies in the lack of optimism overall that was felt in [...]

NEW YORK — Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before: the NBA and the Union are very close to a deal that would end the lockout and return basketball to the masses. This is the second time in five days that we have heard this news and it’s both good and bad. The bad is that they’ve come close twice and can’t get a deal done despite being so close. The owners are still pressing for the players to accept their 49-51 split on revenue that favors the players. The players want that number raised to at least 52. There are [...]

NEW YORK — The offer was on the table. The deal looked like ti was done and we were going to get basketball back. This was a sentiment not felt by the players in the NBA or the union. They have rejected the owners latest offer and are requesting one more bargaining session before the 5 p.m. deadline Wednesday. This has turned into a game of chicken now with two insane drivers heading straight for each other. Chances are, neither of them will turn. David Stern started this whole game of death Sunday when he placed an offer he felt the players couldn’t [...]

After winning the 2010 NBDL Championship last season, the Iowa Energy looked to pick up some talent in Thursday’s draft to help them once again win it all. With Curtis Stinson leaving for a better offer overseas, the Energy were in need of a point guard. As a Marquette fan, I was hoping Dwight Buycks would be available when the Energy were on the clock. But he was taken by the Tulsa 66ers five picks before the Energy were due up. With Buycks not being available, the Energy selected Brandon Ewing. (Brandon Ewing, Iowa’s top selection in the 2011 draft, [...]

NEW YORK — The NBA Lockout enters its 128th day and it seems like things are finally looking up. According to various reports including sources inside the Washington Post, the NBA Labor talks have broken but a deal is on the table. The NBA Union and the Owners met Saturday and allowed the meetings to trickle into Sunday and for the first time ever, we actually have evidence of progress. Real progress, not the fake cotton candy progress that has dissolved at the first drippings of our excited drool. David Stern has said that a deal is on the table but must [...]

CHICAGO — The NBA may still be locked out but that isn’t stopping the next potential class of players from making news. The NBA Developmental League held it’s annual draft tonight and after all 8 rounds were complete, 8 players now have a shot at potentially wearing a Bulls uniform. But if at the very least, they join a championship team in the Iowa Energy who won last season’s NBADL Championship game. It was a huge deal for the fans of the Energy and the players and sent the D-League stars into the murky offseason with more than their Chicago [...]

NEW YORK — Billy Hunter stormed out of last Friday’s meetings refusing to go below the 52 percent mark when it comes to the players percentage of Basketball Related Income. Today an unnamed player according to a Yahoo! Sports article, said that “will never happen again.” Which begs the question: is Billy Hunter losing the union he once had firmly on his side? It’s just the latest twist in what has been the most boring lockout ever to hit humanity in it’s face. You’d think with all the twists, turns and drama that it would make for great reality television. [...]

ESPN obtained the letter that Union head Billy Hunter sent out to NBA players on Tuesday addressing the failed labor talks on Friday, their plans to move forward and the situation regarding himself and Derek Fischer. This is the text contained in that letter. TO: ALL PLAYERS FROM: G. WILLIAM HUNTER DATE: November 01, 2011 RE: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UPDATE (NOVEMBER 1, 2011) As you have undoubtedly heard, negotiations with the owners aimed at ending their 4-month lockout collapsed on Friday, October 28. After three days of productive talks, which followed a week of negotiations aided by the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, the owners [...]