Heat Owner Micky Arison disclosed Thursday that he "voted against" the NBA's new CBA because he was "unhappy with the revenue-sharing component" of the deal, according to Joseph Goodman of the MIAMI HERALD. Arison said, "While I did everything I could behind the scenes -- and some not-so-behind the scenes -- to get playing by Christmas, when you come down to it financially … it’s a tough financial deal for us." At issue was the "revenue-sharing model, which Arison said will force the Heat to funnel money to large-market teams such as the Clippers and Nets." Arison: "The way it’s structured for us to have to pay revenue sharing to the larger market teams was disturbing, and we will. And so that was a key kind of protest vote on our part." He added that he "would have preferred a hard salary cap but one that would have allowed the Heat to keep the Big 3 by possibly rolling back salaries" Arison: "Because of players’ refusal to accept that, they just made it extremely expensive." Still, Arison said that the CBA was "good for the league." Arison: "It was just tough on our particular franchise. But at the same time, I have to recognize that they did a great job for the league in general and I think in the long run for the players, as well" (MIAMI HERALD, 12/23). Arison said that the new CBA "did not complexly address market-size issues." He said, "While the league tried to level the playing field -- small market, big market -- there's still no question that teams in the New York, Chicago, L.A. area have a significant advantage. Maybe not as much as they had on the old CBA, but they still do." He added that the "lack of a hard cap leaves wealthy owners, such as himself, constantly being expected to pay more, because there is no high-end limitation, other than an onerous luxury tax to be paid to the league on high-end payrolls." He said that that "was something he had hoped to avoid in a new agreement." Arison: "That's why a hard-cap concept is a better concept than a luxury-tax concept. That's the way fans feel, that's the way players feel, that's the way coaches feel. The only one that feels different is people who run a business, who expect to get a return in their investment." In Ft. Lauderdale, Ira Winderman noted it was a "rare extended session of candor from Arison, his first sitdown interview in nearly two years with writers who regularly cover the team" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 12/23).
GETTING THE COLD SHOULDER: Arison said that he "was treated coldly by other owners during the negotiations" in the wake of signing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in '10. Arison: "There's no question there was some resentment. I had a discussion with one owner and had to remind him ... that there's 29 other owners in the league that would've done the same thing if they had the opportunity." ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst noted the Mavericks' Mark Cuban is the "only other owner who has publicly said he voted against" the CBA (ESPN.com, 12/22). Arison said that he "would vote the same way if the outcome was hanging in the balance." The AP's Tim Reynolds noted the Heat "made money last season for the first time in at least a decade, riding the boost that came from the first year of having" LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the same team (AP, 12/22).
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Stern says CBA will have impact on both
big and small market teams |
WHAT'S THE DEAL? NBA Commissioner David Stern before Sunday's Magic-Thunder game indicated that big market teams "will bleed just as much as their small market counterparts" under the new CBA. He said, "Teams will not be able to carry the burden of having a roster that gets paid and paid and paid. And it's not a small market team (issue). .... There are large (market) teams that are not going to make the payments." He added, "People are saying to Miami, 'Well, you’re going to have a decision to make with respect to one of your big three.' And they may say the same thing to Oklahoma City, and that’s a good thing. That means you’ve arrived and you’re out there being competitive." Stern said, "There are going to be very few circumstances where someone is going to go $20 million over to pay $65 million in total unless they’re sure this is their time and they’re going for it once." Stern: "You'll see. It's beauty. It's all going to happen and then we'll look back at it rather than prejudge it. I happen to think it's going to be good for all of us, and it's going to hit small market and large market teams alike" (
NEWSOK.com, 12/26). NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter recently "tried to put the lockout in perspective, acknowledging that it was far too early to assess winners and losers." Hunter: "David Stern is not particularly happy, his owners are not happy with the deal, and we’re not. They say that when you’re negotiating and neither side is really happy about the deal, then it’s a fair deal. Time will confirm whether or not things worked out and what kind of deal you got" (
N.Y. TIMES, 12/26).
STERN REACTION: The AP's Jamie Aron noted Stern attended Sunday's Heat-Mavericks game and "took part in the banner raising ceremony." Fans "greeted him with boos, perhaps showing disgust over the lockout that delayed the start of the season from Nov. 1 and shrunk the season by 16 games" (AP, 12/25).
