The NBA and NBPA announced on Friday that they had "reached
an agreement in principle on all material terms of their
collective bargaining agreement." In order to get the deal in
writing and obtain ratification from the union membership, a
moratorium on all free agent activity was announced until July 9.
The players will receive a copy of the deal and contract
ratification ballots today. A simple majority of those voting is
necessary (NBA/NBPA).
DETAILS: Neither league nor union officials would discuss
specifics of the agreement until the players received their
copies. However, sources said the union got much of the $31M
they requested from the league for use of the NBPA logo, but that
the NBA can "recoup" some of that through additional licensing
revenues. In addition, the NBPA logo will appear with the NBA
logo at many events, including All-Star Weekend. Also, a $90M
annual TV rights fee from TNT will become part of shared
revenues; salary cap rules were modified in favor of player
movement; and pension benefits were increased (Mark Asher,
WASHINGTON POST, 6/29). The logo fee ended up at $21M, with the
league offering higher pension payments (Clifton Brown, N.Y.
TIMES, 6/29).
KEY PLAYERS: NBPA President Buck Williams: "We do not
anticipate any problems in obtaining ratification of this
agreement from our players." NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ
Granik: "We look forward on July 9 to re-focusing our energies
on continuing the worldwide growth of our sport over the next
several years" (NBA). Union attorney Jeffrey Kessler: "The
turning point was Tuesday when the league ended the meetings.
Both sides came back Wednesday intent on making progress" (Curtis
Bunn, N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/29). Granik: "It came down to how much
money we have to spend and how to divide it up among those
things" (David Moore, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/29). Granik, on the
logo: "To us, whether the dollars are being spent for logo
rights, for licencing rights, for pension benefits, for other
benefits, it's ultimately dollars that have to be spent in order
to get what you need. So, only in that it was the last issue,
was it the most difficult one" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 6/28).
OTHER REAX: Agent Keith Glass: "I don't think David Stern
wanted a lockout with the Olympics coming this summer. This is
about marketing. The league is being led by its marketing arm."
Agent Bill Strickland: "In certain ways, I don't want to say I'm
relieved, because I never thought they would lock out" (N.Y.
POST, 6/29). In L.A., Mark Heisler credits the fact that agent
David Falk, "last summer's coup leader," has so many free agent
clients this year as one reason for the players "caving in" (L.A.
TIMES, 6/30). In Tampa, Bill Fay writes, "Tough as the NBPA
tried to be this round, they didn't have the financial
wherewithal to call a strike" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 6/30). 76ers
Player Rep Rex Walters: "They didn't want to lock us out, and we
didn't want a lockout" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 6/29).
