The NBA and NBPA resume talks today in N.Y. "in what is
seen as a last chance to salvage an 82-game season,"
according to USA TODAY's Roscoe Nance. If their "second
bargaining session in five days doesn't yield progress, the
league is likely to begin cancelling regular-season games
for the first time in" its history (USA TODAY, 10/13). In
N.Y., Mitch Lawrence writes that neither side "expects any
progress" in the talks today (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/13).
STERN ON TOUR: NBA Commissioner David Stern, asked if
the league is "intent on declaring an impasse" in bargaining
and implementing its own system: "No, not right now. We're
planning to sit this one out as long as it takes and to use
the lockout as the economic weapon that it is." More Stern:
"This is all about economics. It's always going to be a
little out of control, and there are other issues." Stern:
"There's hope. We're not trashing our players. We're
arguing. Last time it was with the agents. This time it's
with the union" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/11). Stern is interviewed
by Jeffrey Denberg in the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION and asked
whether the impasse is agent driven: "I have no proof of
that and I have no suspicion of it" (10/13). Asked if the
league would ever use replacement players, Stern said,
"That's not something we've ever considered" (MIAMI HERALD,
10/11). Interviewed by ESPN's David Aldridge on Friday,
Stern was asked whether the league can recover in the public
eye: "We'll do the best we can ... If a company or a car
company spends $15,000 to manufacture a car and sells it for
$14,000, if you ask it whether it's going to lose customers
during the shutdown, during which it tries to get its costs
and expenses in line, the answer is they may, but you have
to do what you've got to do" ("SportsCenter," 10/9).
Interviewed by Sam Smith in Chicago, Stern said, "I pride
myself on an ability to work with and have honest dialogue
with a series of very difficult negotiators. So I'd say
maybe the failure is mine, since I cannot make the same
connection with [NBPA President] Patrick Ewing and [NBPA
Exec Dir] Billy Hunter" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/13).
EXHIBITION GAME IN HOUSTON: Jim and Linda McIngvale,
owners of the Westside Tennis Club in Houston, said Monday
that they will sponsor the Gallery Furniture Charity
Basketball Game on October 23 at Hofheinz Pavilion. Former
Rockets G Kenny Smith has helped organize the event and has
received commitments from 22 NBA players already, with more
expected in the next few days, including some "surprise
announcements." Smith is also looking to lure Michael
Jordan to play in the game (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/13).
AGENT OF CHANGE: Agent Steve Woods, who said he is
considering filing a grievance against the union on behalf
of several players, said, "The games are going to be awful
this season, regardless of when this is decided." He added
that players will "get hurt a second way because they will
be losing out on opportunities they won't even see" because
the league "will have suffered so much." Woods: "That's why
I hold the union responsible, because the players don't
understand that. They don't understand cause and effect"
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/11). But Spurs G Avery Johnson
defended the union's leadership: "We're not going to step on
their toes. We voted those guys in and hired Billy Hunter
for a reason" (Michael Murphy, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/13).
