In an interview with Steve Luhm of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE,
John Stockton said his "instincts tell him the 1995-96 pro
basketball season is in jeopardy." Stockton: "It doesn't look
good. ... I'm totally against decertification. ... It solves
nothing. ... I would tell [other NBA players] to get educated
about the deal that's on the table, and I would tell them that
decertifying guarantees nothing except games will be missed. The
big promise of decertification is the creation of a totally open
market for the players. But you have to be realistic. That's
not going to happen. The owners are not going to let it happen."
According to Luhm, Stockton blames agents for the collapse of the
proposed CBA. Stockton: "A lot of players have been given
information that is less than accurate by people they trust. And
that's scary. At least it's scary to me." Luhm adds that
Stockton also has "an ethical problem" regarding anything
affecting the season. Stockton: "Nobody has the right to stop
the game. Basketball was there before this group of owners and
players, and it will be there after us. We just don't have the
right to mess around with it" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 7/29).
COUSY, TOO: In an interview with Cathy Harasta of the DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, Bob Cousy, founder of the NBPA, said the
decertification movement "constitutes a ploy of a handful of
agents to undo the union." Cousy: "It's a players union. Now
the agents want a piece of the action. They've found some high-
visibility players. They certainly don't have the sympathy of
the fans. It used to be that fans would be behind the players in
these things" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/31).
FROM THE "SPORTS REPORTERS": Bob Ryan, asked "how hard" NBA
Commissioner David Stern "is going to have to work this year to
earn his $8 million": "David has always been worth the money
because he has made money for the owners, but you can't make
money for the owners if there is no league in operation. David
Stern has been successful in part because he has always enjoyed
the good will of the players and the NBA Players' Association.
If he no longer has that and they're not buying into what the NBA
is doing, then David Stern is in trouble, and in that sense David
Stern will never work harder to earn that money than he will this
year" ("Sunday SportsDay," ESPN, 7/30).
MORE RYAN: In his BOSTON GLOBE column yesterday, Bob Ryan
wrote: "If the NBA season is delayed because of any kind of work
stoppage it will only prove that when people of ill will set out
to accomplish something, no force on earth can stop them from
getting it done" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/30).
TIMING IS EVERYTHING: NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik
on the argument that decertification will allow the '95-96 season
to be played: "I think the NBA owners always have recognized the
clout our players have. They have the power to shut down the
business. But what they've been sold is they don't have to shut
down the business, but just go to courts. You'd think they would
see that has not worked for any union. It's a fairy tale.
What's remarkable to me is that the players will believe that in
light of what happened in other sports" (Mike Monroe, DENVER
POST, 7/30).
