NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Friday said that while he has had no formal negotiations with the NBPA, he is optimistic that there will not be a work stoppage as the players and union face an opt-out of the current CBA in December '16. Speaking after the league's BOG meeting, Silver said he has been in “the process of building a relationship” with NBPA Exec Dir Michele Roberts. “There is reason to be optimistic,” Silver said, adding that he has not engaged in any real manner related to the CBA with Roberts. “We have as good a relationship as we ever have.” Silver also said owners were updated during the BOG meeting about the current state of the fantasy sports industry. “There has been a lot that has been reported in the past few weeks and our position hasn’t changed,” he said (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). ESPN.com's Ian Begley wrote Silver "painted an optimistic picture" about the informal dialogue with the NBPA, emphasizing that the talks "have gone well to date." Silver also "emphasized several times on Friday that the league will be diligent with sharing financial information with the players association, which had been an issue raised by Roberts in the past" (ESPN.com, 10/24). USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt wrote, "Why the early optimism? It starts -- and ends perhaps -- with money" (USATODAY.com, 10/23).
YOUNG OWNERS OPEN TO DISCUSSION: Silver said that the league's younger owners "are more open to innovation, and because of it, there’s a newfound sense that few issues are off the table." Silver added of the composition of the 82-game schedule, “I’d say the new generation of owners who have come into the league are incredibly open-minded on all issues. We’re open-minded on it. It’s something we’ll continue to look at.” ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz wrote money "is still the driver in the NBA, but in 2015, both the league and its athletes are cognizant of fatigue and player well-being as more than peripheral factors in the health of the product." What makes some of the league’s "stronger advocates slightly optimistic about the casual conversation about schedule reduction is the confluence of new revenue and the emerging focus on health and performance optimization." There will "never be a more advantageous moment for sensible reform, where both sides could gain so much while giving up less than they could ever imagine" (ESPN.com, 10/23).
BOUNCE PASS: USA TODAY's Alec Neuharth-Keusch noted the NBA on Friday announced that its League Pass out-of-market games package is offering “viewers three new features” this season. The first gives subscribers “the opportunity to view games through social media.” Fans will also be able to “purchase a single game pass (instead of the previous full season pass) as well as a team pass.” The league is offering “a free trial of the new technology” Oct. 27-Nov. 3 (USATODAY.com, 10/23).
SENSE & SENSIBILITY: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Townsend & Soshnick noted Nike CEO Mark Parker, giving a speech to NBA owners Thursday, "laid out a plan to infuse its athletic gear with more technology, including body monitors and 'Back to the Future'-style self-lacing sneakers." Nike is "planning to use sensors and computing power to control body temperature and get the perfect fit." Parker's speech "had added significance because Nike will expand its relationship with the NBA" in '17 (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/24).
