The NBA has "sued its players union, contending that
the league should not have to pay players during the lockout
and that it should not have to go to arbitration over the
issue," according to Mike Wise of the N.Y. TIMES. The suit
was filed last Friday in U.S. District Court and came after
the NBPA had filed a grievance with arbitrator John Feerick
"on behalf of its members whose contracts call for them to
be paid during the summer months." In response to the
union's action, "the league and its 29 team owners asked
that the court deny the request for arbitration because the
collective bargaining agreement expired, and triggered the
lockout." The league also asked the court to "declare that
the lockout legally permits teams not to pay their players
until a new labor agreement can be reached." In addition,
the suit asked that Feerick, who "sharply reduced" NBA
Commissioner David Stern's suspension of Warriors G Latrell
Sprewell, "be removed as arbitrator on the grounds that his
term expired" with the CBA agreement (N.Y. TIMES, 7/14).
MORE FREE AGENTS? On ESPN SportsZone, Frank Hughes
writes that in addition to the 11 players originally cited
in the grievance "who were supposed to be paid all or part"
of their salary on July 1, an additional 19 players,
including Shaquille O'Neal, are due contract payments from
July 1 to the beginning of the season and could become free
agents if Feerick rules for the union (SportsZone, 7/14).
LOCKOUT WATCH: On SportsZone, Hughes also writes that
"many" players are considering holding overseas exhibition
games to raise funds. The union hopes the games could "net"
about $3-4M to be placed in a pool (ESPN SportsZone, 7/14).
...In S.F., C.W. Nevius writes, "It's hard to pick a
favorite" in the lockout: "What the two sides really should
be doing is finding a creative solution. Instead, they are
retrenching their positions" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/14).
