NBRA's McMorris Withdraws From Talks As Refs Reject NBA Offer

McMorris Says His Departure Is In Best Interest Of Referees, NBA

NBRA Exec Dir Lamell McMorris yesterday "removed himself" from labor negotiations with the NBA after the union's exec board Sunday rejected the league's latest offer in a 3-2 vote, according to sources cited by Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com. The NBA last Friday "made another offer to its locked-out referees" at a "previously undisclosed bargaining session in Philadelphia." McMorris in a statement yesterday said that "negotiations with the NBA would be handled" going forward by NBRA General Counsel Brian Lam and the union's exec board. McMorris said his departure is "in the best interest of the NBA referees and the league." NBA Commissioner David Stern "already took himself out of the negotiations earlier this month" (ESPN.com, 9/28).

FILL ME IN: In Salt Lake City, Steve Luhm noted barring a "last-minute solution in the labor dispute" between the NBA and NBRA, "three replacement referees will work" Thursday night's Nuggets-Jazz preseason opener at EnergySolutions Arena. NBA VP/Basketball Communications Tim Frank said, "We are in the process of putting together a roster of replacement referees. Our goal, as always, is to have the regular staff working the games. They are the best in the world and everybody knows that. But without a deal, this is the only option at our disposal right now" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/27).