NBA Commissioner David Stern was a guest on "NBA
Showtime" yesterday and was interviewed by Hannah Storm and
Peter Vecsey. Asked by Storm about the mood surrounding the
CBA talks, Stern said, "I would say the mood is one of both
sides trying to reach an agreement but there remains a large
gap." Stern, on the biggest obstacle in the talks: "Maybe
the imagination of the negotiators. We can't seem to come
up with a solution. ... From our perspective, we're willing
to consider anything, as long as the amount we promised to
pay is the amount that we pay. I think we're all trying in
good faith to bridge that, but that's the obstacle. Maybe
we're not smart enough." Vecsey asked, "How much do egos
play a part in this?" Stern: "None. I think as a group,
owners and players, we know that this is a league that is
going to pay a $1 billion just in salaries next year, and
does very well for our fans. We'd like to keep it going.
It's not a question of ego." Storm asked Stern about the
proliferation of taunting and throat-slashing in the
playoffs: "The question of what taunting is remains the
same, the answer changes. I'm sure that as we talk you'll
show some taunting [NBC did show clips of players throat-
slashing]. ... I think that NBC is the primary progenitor of
bringing taunting to our audiences worldwide. If it looks
good, you put it on a pregame show, you raise it at
halftime. It's good theatre, and I think we're properly
called to task. We have to redefine it because it's not --
even if it makes good TV -- it's not acceptable." Stern, on
prep stars going pro: "We'll make certain proposals in
collective bargaining that don't reward kids for coming out
of high school. To the extent that we're at all guilty
through our rules to encouraging it, I think we need a way
to stop that. ... I'm hard pressed to say that kids who can
make a fortune who have no interest in going to college
shouldn't have that right. I just don't think that we
should be in a position of encouraging them to [give] up
their college education" ("Showtime," NBC, 5/17).
NOT AS SIMPLE AS C-B-A: BUSINESS WEEK's Hyman & Weiner
examine upcoming labor negotiations and report that there
has been talk of a luxury tax levied against teams that
exceed the salary cap. Insiders believe that Stern will
"take aim" at widening the economic fault line among
players. Player agent Marc Fleisher said Stern most likely
will increase the minimum salary for veterans to $400,000 to
$450,000, in exchange for "a cap on the high end."
Fleisher: "Stern has a good deal, not as good as he'd like,
but a much better deal than he'd get from the present union
leadership" (BUSINESS WEEK, 5/25 issue). In Akron, Terry
Pluto wrote that sources told him the NBA and NBPA "have had
at least" five CBA meetings and "we hear they have a long
way to go" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 5/17). In Boston, Peter
May wrote, "Most figure that the lockout will spill over
into next season. The agents' feeling is that Stern and the
owners will want to see how the players react after they
miss a paycheck or two" (Peter May, BOSTON GLOBE, 5/17).
