NBA owners presented "several new proposals to the
players on Sunday night," according to ESPN's David
Aldridge. The two sides "were still meeting with each other
late Sunday" evening. A "small group of players and owners
met in New York on Saturday. On Sunday, a larger group of
players and owners met." The NBA's Labor Committee will
meet on Tuesday in N.Y., followed by a full ownership
meeting on Wednesday (ESPN.com, 10/26). Meanwhile, an NBA
exec told Mike Wise of the N.Y. TIMES that the league will
announce Wednesday or Thursday that it will cancel the rest
of November's games, and "to avoid embarrassing biweekly
announcements of further cancellations, "as much as the
first two weeks of December's schedule" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/24).
CHARITY AT NIGHT: In Houston, Jonathan Feigen reported
that Friday night's Gallery Furniture Charity basketball
game "drew 23 NBA players, two rap artists and roughly 8,000
fans to Hofheinz Pavilion." Feigen described the setting as
"loud and raucous, and sometimes even a bit ridiculous."
Players received appearance fees "as large as" $10,000 and
were "identified as 'playing professionally in' assorted
cities, rather than for NBA teams," in an effort to "remove
all connections to the NBA" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/24). In
N.Y., Mike Wise reported that two of the game's "featured
performers," the Spurs' Tim Duncan and David Robinson,
"decided at the last minute to skip the game, as did several
other big-name players" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/24). In Ft. Worth,
Richie Whitt called the game "sloppy, but entertaining" (FT.
WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/24). In San Antonio, Johnny Ludden
wrote the exhibition resembled "MTV 'Rock-N-Jock' reruns"
(EXPRESS-NEWS, 10/24). Afterward, Magic G Anfernee Hardaway
said, "This is showing that we are unified and that we are
going to do whatever it takes for us to stay in shape."
Heat G Tim Hardaway, on the charity game: "It's not to show
the owners anything, it's just a game to show the fans that
we want to play, that we are anxious to play" (CNN, 10/23).
AUSTIN POWERS: The NBPA has put Advantage Int'l's Jeff
Austin and FAME's David Falk "in charge of setting up
televised exhibition games as a way to produce funds for
financially strapped players if the lockout becomes
protracted" (Mark Asher, WASHINGTON POST, 10/25).
LEAVING LAS VEGAS: The AP reported that during
Thursday's players meeting in Las Vegas, Jazz Gs Jeff
Hornacek and John Stockton were "shouted down when they
tried to move the discussion from militant speeches to a
dialogue on what percentage of revenues the players could
live with" (Mult., 10/24). ESPN's David Aldridge: "The
agents, superstar players and rank-and-file all came out of
Las Vegas agreeing on one thing: They wouldn't agree to the
owners' proposal for a hard salary cap or the luxury tax
proposal that they came up with. ... The big question now is
whether or not there are moderates within the owner factions
who are ... willing to make a deal" ("SportsWeekly," ESPN,
10/25). In Philadelphia, Stephen Smith reported that some
agents "asked incredulously" why Pistons F Grant Hill didn't
attend the meetings (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/25).
PRAISE FOR HUNTER: In L.A., Mark Heisler writes on the
union meetings in Las Vegas and notes that despite being
challenged by a few agents, Hunter "consolidated his power."
Heisler: "With [David] Falk so happy, people began wondering
if Hunter hadn't been David's man all along, but sources say
the two have actually been fencing behind the scenes, as if
to determine the new pecking order." One union official:
"Billy goes to great lengths to keep the agents away. At
the same time, he's enough of a politician to solicit their
views and listen to them." Heisler: "Hunter has been
impressive, jaunty, unafraid, personable, comfortable in his
role. That's what the agents wanted all along, someone with
the weight to confront Stern" (L.A. TIMES, 10/26). In N.Y.,
Mike Wise: "For a union known for its disorganization and
the controversial exits of its former executive directors,
Hunter's orchestration has been nothing short of masterful.
He has tried to go toe-to-toe with the league's propaganda
machine, spewing out his own spin as fast and voluminous as
he can." Agent Bill Strickland: "He hasn't tried to stifle
ideas. Before, if someone had something different to say,
the head was cut off" (Mike Wise, N.Y. TIMES, 10/25).
WORKING WITH WOODS: Agent Stephen Woods withdrew his
complaint with the NLRB accusing the union of mismanaging
negotiations. Woods: "Billy and I got together and talked.
He explained his position. I still have concerns, but the
masses have spoken and they seem to mean business. What
else can you do but get on board?" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/25).
