Deputy NBA Commissioner Russ Granik, who is on tour
with the USA Basketball team in Europe, is "painting a bleak
picture" of the NBA labor situation, according to Eddie
Sefko of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Granik called the players'
stance "totally disingenuous because they keep saying this
fight is about the guys at the low and middle end (of the
pay spectrum), but it's not. What the union wants is for
the guys at the top to be able to make as much as they want.
And then they obviously would like more money for the other
guys, too. But they are the second and third priorities."
Sefko writes that Granik now feels there's an "excellent
chance" the league could miss games in November. Granik: "I
think there's a very good chance. ... I really think the
mood on the part of ownership is different this time. I
think there's a real possibility that this time we're going
to say we're not going to be able to make a deal. There's
some sense that perhaps we tried too hard to make a deal
last time, that in our quest not to lose games last time
around, we gave up too much." Sefko writes the NBA is about
to "play hardball" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/21).
