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).