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Leagues and Governing Bodies

NBA'S CBA PLAYERS TALK THE TALK WITH NBC'S PETER VECSEY

          The NBA's CBA negotiations were examined on "NBA
     Showtime" on Sunday by NBC's Peter Vecsey, who spoke with
     NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik, agent David Falk, NBPA
     President Patrick Ewing and NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter. 
     Falk: "I think if you lock the players out, you risk losing
     the fans for the next four or five years and creating Major
     League Baseball."  Granik, asked why a new deal would be
     better from '95, since the same people are doing the
     negotiating: "Well, you know, hopefully we can be a little
     smarter this time."  Ewing, on a hard cap: "We as players,
     we're not going to go for a hard cap because it will be too
     restrictive."  Vecsey: "In any way, shape or form?"  Ewing:
     "In any way, shape or form."  Hunter appeared live from
     Oakland and said that the NBPA is currently awaiting a
     second counter offer from the NBA: "I think [the NBA] will
     admit to you that they were rather surprised at the offer
     that I put on the table from the get go.  It was a creative
     offer, it was a substantive offer, and an offer that's
     generally not made that early in negotiations.  But I came
     to the negotiations with the intent on trying to reach an
     agreement, and I put forth what I thought to be a
     substantive offer -- one that the owners could in fact
     either live with or attempt to negotiate over."  After his
     report, Vecsey said he believed that no games will be lost
     to a lockout next season: "I don't think they're going to
     miss a beat.  I really don't" ("NBA Showtime," NBC, 5/24).
          REAX TO NBC REPORT: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke wrote that
     NBC "devoted too much attention to viewer-turnoff league
     labor problems" (USA TODAY, 5/26).  But in Baltimore, Milton
     Kent wrote that NBC's report on the CBA negotiations "was a
     welcome change from the normal" (Baltimore SUN, 5/26).  
          MORE CBA: In Denver, Todd Phipers on NBC's report:
     "Bottom-line summation: There still are major differences to
     be settled" between the two sides (DENVER POST, 5/26).  In
     L.A., Mark Heisler wrote, "There is suspicion that [David]
     Stern won't reveal his proposal until bargaining starts in
     earnest, this summer, after the lockout" (L.A. TIMES, 5/24).
          A SOCIAL PHENOM: Pulitzer Prize-winning author David
     Halberstam is writing a book on Michael Jordan scheduled for
     a November release.  Halberstam, whose other NBA book, "The
     Breaks Of The Game," chronicled the '79-80 Trail Blazers,
     said his new book will explore "what made him not just a
     great player but a phenomenon, a social phenomenon that
     transcends basketball, transcends sports and transcends
     national boundaries.  How that happened is intriguing" (N.Y.
     POST, 5/25).  Halberstam: "It's mostly about Michael, but
     also, in the background, are the changes in the league --
     the world of chartered jets and bodyguards and $10 million,
     $20 million salaries" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 5/24).  

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