The NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire on June 30th, and in this lockout conscious sports world, things are setting up for yet another. Recent news has the players and owners about $7 billion dollars in their recent proposals. That’s a heck of a chunk of change to play with.
The last work stoppage in the NBA saw a shortened season and smaller TV ratings. The biggest star in the game, Michael Jordan, wasn’t around to save the league, and it took a few years for the NBA to recover from that labor strife.
If there is a work stoppage, or a canceled season as some predict, I think the NBA would struggle to get back the buzz they’ve created this last season.
As it is now, the NBA seems to be alienating some fans with the move towards Superteams. If the ‘Big 3’ type trend continues, it’ll leave all but a few teams with a legit Finals chance. Not having the NBA around will push even more fans away. Having the ultimate Villain in the Miami Heat is good for the game, as was the Dallas Mavericks overcoming the odds with a mostly homegrown team to win it all. I hope the NBA doesn’t buzzkill what ever momentum they’re building.
The owners want a 10 year deal in place and the players counter with one for 5 year’s, the type of salary cap is a major sticking point as well, hard or a flex cap. And the owners are trying to drastically shrink the percentage of revenue that the players receive.
In what is shaping us as another battle between millionaires and billionaires, talk about deja vu, the fans look to be the losers.