The ascension of Warriors G Stephen Curry in some way "could help precipitate a lockout" following the '16-17 season, as the "more popular he and the other players become, the harder the line they'll take in negotiations and the better the odds that we'll see another work stoppage," according to Sean Gregory of TIME. Curry, who sits on the NBPA Exec Committee, is "among the NBA stars who will use their clout at the bargaining table." Curry said, "You just look at the value of teams going up on a year-to-year basis, and you follow that trend, the players should be compensated accordingly. That's the simple message. We'll fight for it." He added of upcoming negotiations, "We're much more organized than we've ever been. Much more unified." Gregory notes it has been "more than a decade" since Michael Jordan retired for the final time, and the NBA has "finally learned how to live without him." Dynamic stars like Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul are "among the best players and most marketable names in league history." Aside from James' "fumbled made-for-TV announcement" to leave the Cavaliers for the Heat in '10, each star has "avoided the public missteps that have felled other athletic icons" like Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez and Lance Armstrong. In ads, "their smiling faces tout international blue-chip companies such as Apple, Coca-Cola, Nike and Unilever." The "popularity of today's NBA players" also has helped make teams "more valuable than ever." However, this "boom time" is "fragile." The NBA CBA could expire after the '17 Finals if "either side opts out" by December '16 (TIME, 12/28 issue).
POWERFUL MESSAGE: A SACRAMENTO BEE editorial stated that a 30-second ad "may not sound like much of a game-changer," but the NBA "deserves praise for taking on guns" in its new PSA. It is a "bold move for a mass-market brand." The image of star NBAers and regular people sharing their personal experiences with gun violence is "intrinsically a powerful argument for better gun control." The ads "send a subtle but powerful message: Guns hurt people, and cool people are disgusted with that." Guns "too often are a refuge for losers," and "maybe it'll make a difference if some winners come out and say so." The editorial: "We’d like to see the Sacramento Kings add their important voice to this effort" (SACBEE.com, 12/28).
