The NBA Lockout: Is this the Final Staredown?
Make no mistake about the NBA labor dispute, disregard whatever what both sides have said in the past, this moment in the stalemate is what both sides wanted. Forget about "good faith" bargaining between the owners and the players' union or the use of a mediation. The truth is that both sides wanted regular season games to be cancelled. Maybe not all of the games, but just enough to draw financial blood.
It is quite clear that the owners believe that if the players start missing a few game checks, they will fold. Recent evidence shows that the owners may be making some gains. While it is disputed by the players' union head Derek Fisher, there were many reports that the Washington Wizards team is ready to cave in. Likewise, the players want the owners to lose out on some badly needed revenue and revenue sharing from games. Do you really think Mark Cuban wants his profitable Mavericks to miss games? Even the truly financially troubled owners can't make any money if none of the profitable teams (i.e. Lakers and Celtics) are playing.
So we are now at the financially bloody crossroad. The NBA situation is much different the NFL lockout. The NFL always had enough money to make everyone happy (some not as happy as they wanted to be but still enough), the NBA is in need of a rethinking of salaries, salary caps and revenue sharing. An agreement here will make many of the players and owners unhappy and will be quite complicated.
However, given the lack of public outcry over the loss of professional basketball, the players and owners better get something done soon.
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.