NBA and NBPA negotiators "took a break Thursday" with
no future bargaining session planned, according to USA
TODAY's Matt Cimento. The two sides agreed to speak today.
Cimento: "Several members of both negotiating teams have
left New York" (USA TODAY, 10/30). NEWSDAY's Greg Logan
reports that despite the lengthy negotiations on Wednesday,
the two sides "agree a deal is not close." One NBPA
official: "We're not even close to a solution." NBA
Commissioner David Stern "said so many issues remain open
that both sides need time to take inventory after three
straight exhausting days of negotiations" (NEWSDAY, 10/30).
MEET IN THE MIDDLE? The N.Y. TIMES' Mike Wise quotes
sources saying that the players have reduced their requested
share of total revenues from 63% to 60%, and the owners have
raised their figure from 48% to 50%. The players last year
earned 57.1% of BRI (N.Y. TIMES, 10/30). USA TODAY's Roscoe
Nance notes that each percentage point represents about
$20M, "which means the sides are about" $200M apart. Nance
gives details today on both the owners' and players' offers
on the table and adds that "each side has moved off its
original position a bit" (USA TODAY, 10/30).
HOOPS DU SURE: In N.Y., Peter Vecsey predicts a deal
"within the week." The "momentum" from the latest talks
"should be enough to steamroll the talks and sweep up the
remaining issues in the subsequent 48 hours and the season
should begin" on December 1 (N.Y. POST, 10/30).
ONE PLAYER AND ONE NON-PLAYER: In Boston, Peter May
profiles NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter and writes, "So far,
Hunter has kept the players and agents on the same page, a
far cry from the fractured union of three years ago. He
hired a director of communications -- he needs more help,
Billy -- to help get the message out and makes his players
available when possible" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/30). In L.A.,
Mark Heisler writes that Hunter, "spunky, jaunty, no one to
run from a confrontation, has taken over." Hunter: "It's a
lonely job. There are so many different constituency groups
that you're trying to placate or satisfy and it's extremely
difficult" (L.A. TIMES, 10/30)....In Chicago, Sam Smith
reported that Bulls Chair Jerry Reinsdorf was "one of the
few owners" who did not attend the league's Board of
Governors meeting. Reinsdorf, on the labor negotiations:
"Basically, I'm not participating. David Stern makes the
deals. And why not? He's done a great job of it for so
long, so there's no need for me to fly out to New York to
find out what's doing" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/29).
DO FANS CARE? Of the 30,289 browsers who took part in a
CBS SportsLine survey, 63.4% blamed the players for the
stalemate, while 36.6% feel the owners are responsible.
CNN/SI.com is asking browsers, "How disappointed are you
about the NBA lockout?" Of 16,044 votes, 56% said they
"couldn't care less," 29% said they are "very" disappointed,
8% are "a little" and 7% are "somewhat" (THE DAILY).
STERN WARNING: Stern sent a letter to all teams
"preventing coaches and executives from attending player
charity or pickup games." Sonics assistant coach Nate
McMillan: "We were out seeing who was playing. But [the
letter said] we can't even go out to schools and
universities and look at guys" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/28).
