NBA Refs Reject NBA Labor Offer, Will Submit Counterproposal

McMorris Says NBA Must Meet NBRA Halfway

The NBA's 57 referees said that they "planned to present a counterproposal" to the league today after voting unanimously yesterday to reject the league's offer for a new labor agreement, according to Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com. National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) Exec Dir Lamell said that the league presented the referees with a new proposal yesterday, which they discussed "for about 6 1/2 hours before the offer was unanimously voted down." McMorris said that the NBA "made some movement from its prior offer, but he would not be specific" and did not disclose "what adjustments the league made to its proposal." The referees said that they have agreed to $2.5M of the $3.2M in "concessions the league was seeking," but the NBA "believes the gap is more significant." The NBA and NBRA are "facing a deadline of sorts this weekend, with the annual referees' training camp scheduled to begin Sunday in New Jersey" (ESPN.com, 9/16). McMorris: "I'm hopeful from what our group has demonstrated. The league has to meet us kind of halfway" (AP, 9/17).

BAD TIME FOR REPLACEMENTS: In Sacramento, Bill Bradley writes with a "possible work stoppage for the players in 2011, the NBA doesn't need to give the impression it has an inferior product." Bradley: "Officiating has been an NBA hot button. It doesn't need to push it" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 9/17).