Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Leagues and Governing Bodies

NBA NINE-HOUR NEGOTIATING SESSION SPARKS TALKS OF PROGRESS

          A "weekend thaw" in the NBA's labor dispute "prompted a
     serious attempt yesterday to save most of the season,"
     according to Greg Logan of NEWSDAY.  According to a source
     with knowledge of the "secretive talks," negotiators "agreed
     on several key points but still were struggling to settle on
     a luxury tax that would limit salaries paid" out for the
     Larry Bird exception.  The meeting was at an undisclosed
     Manhattan location and "grew out of a three-hour discussion"
     between NBA Commissioner David Stern, Deputy Commissioner
     Russ Granik and NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter on Saturday. 
     Yesterday's meeting included 20 union reps and 12 from
     ownership, including Rockets Owner Les Alexander and Suns
     Chair Jerry Colangelo.  One source said: "This is the
     critical time.  I think they're making tremendous progress"
     (NEWSDAY, 10/27).  USA TODAY's Roscoe Nance reports the two
     sides met for nine hours yesterday and have agreed to meet
     throughout the week.  The league holds its Board of
     Governors meeting today and Wednesday (USA TODAY, 10/27).
          GREAT PROGRESS OR BABY STEPS? One source told Mike Wise
     of the N.Y. TIMES: "There has been some minor progress.  But
     it's unclear whether we're going anywhere or not on the
     major issues" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/27).  The AP's Chris Sheridan
     reports a source saying the league "backed off somewhat on
     its demand for a hard salary cap."  Magic C Danny Schayes:
     "The best thing is we have some sort of agreement on basic
     principles.  Right now we're talking about a hybrid system. 
     The first couple of years it would work one way, for another
     couple of years it would work another way if the first way
     didn't work out.  At least we're finding some common ground"
     (AP/CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/27).  Schayes told Phil Jasner of
     the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS that the league wants to operate
     under a luxury-tax system for the next three years, with a
     fallback to a harder salary cap for the next three years if
     the costs were outside the deal's limits.  The union
     countered with a "tax system for two years and the fallback
     system lasting another two" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS,
     10/27).  Asked if any progress was made toward a resolution,
     Hunter told Fox Sports News, "No, not at all" (BLOOMBERG,
     10/27).  A source told Mark Asher of the WASHINGTON POST
     that progress was "painstakingly slow," but that the two
     sides will meet today to discuss "non-economic issues." 
     Talks on economic issues will resume on Wednesday.  Asher
     adds that "several sources" said the league was using the
     October 13 union offer of a luxury tax as the starting point
     in talks (Mark Asher, WASHINGTON POST, 10/27).
          SIMON SAYS: Pacers co-Owner Herb Simon, before flying
     to N.Y. for the league's meetings: "I'm frustrated that they
     haven't had enough negotiating sessions.  We're going to
     lose the entire season if we don't get moving" (STAR-NEWS,
     10/27). Raptors Gov. Larry Tanenbaum: "What I think I can
     safely say is we're looking forward to the report the
     commissioner is going to give us.  It's always good when the
     two parties are sitting down" (TORONTO SUN, 10/27).  
          BIG MAN IN THE MIDDLE: In DC, Tony Kornheiser writes
     that the NBA season will start around Christmas, when NBC is
     scheduled to broadcast its first game: "NBC is bankrolling
     the owners, and nobody likes to pay something for nothing. 
     NBC's Dick Ebersol is the most important player in this
     game, not David Stern or Billy Hunter.  One morning Ebersol
     is going to wake up and want to see Michael Jordan play
     basketball on TV.  Unlike the rest of us, he can make it
     happen" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/27). 
          A BOOST FOR ABL? On "The Big Show," MSNBC's Keith
     Olbermann said last night: "We're talking about a basketball
     vacuum until the NBA returns and college hoops gets busy two
     months from now.  Who benefits from this?  The ABL: the
     rival of the NBA's sister."  Olbermann said, "Don't think
     the ABL doesn't grasp this," and noted the ABL's Chicago
     Condors' slogan of "We're Still Playing."  Olbermann: "So
     the NBA has locked out its players to save money.  By doing
     so, it has given new hope and possibly new life to the ABL,
     which can only hurt the WNBA, which will cost the NBA money.
     ... How to be too clever" ("The Big Show," MSNBC, 10/26).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/10/27/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/NBA-NINE-HOUR-NEGOTIATING-SESSION-SPARKS-TALKS-OF-PROGRESS.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/10/27/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/NBA-NINE-HOUR-NEGOTIATING-SESSION-SPARKS-TALKS-OF-PROGRESS.aspx

CLOSE