I think that professional basketball is going to lose the entire season, just like the hockey lockout a number of years ago. And just like the hockey lockout, the basketball players are going to be shocked at how little most people care.
Basketball isn’t as popular as it used to be, and I don’t think the players appreciate that. They’re thinking that it’s still the 1980’s and basketball is still raking in the kind of megabucks that football does.
Moving thread from IMHO to The Game Room.
The recent ratiings of the nba finals would prove you wrong. That being said… the players will cave much like the nfl players did… I’m betting no games will be lost…
In 1994, they had a lockout shortened 50 game season. I don’t think there are any players left from 17 years ago, but many players played with players that played then. They know what’s up. The NBA lockout will be a repeat if the recent NFL one.
The NFL players caved? The consensus seemed to be that the Players won the negotiations.
Yeah, that part is completely wrong. That being said, I do think this lockout is going to last a while. Some of the NBA teams have done really bad business for a long time and the salaries and spending are really out of wack. The players are not going to want to give up that much money, and it’s going to take a while for them to relent on that. I hope it doesn’t go that long but I’m concerned it will.
It was 1999, and lots of players remain from those days.
:smack: Why did I think it was 1994?
Like always, all the owners have to do is open their books when they scream poverty. They would win the case immediately if they weren’t lying. They are. I would love to have the players accountant go over the Lakers books.
There are a lot less players on a basketball team than other pro sports. That is why they make so much money. the owners don’t have a minor league system. The equipment is not a big deal. The stadiums and playing fields are much smaller. It is easy money.
The baseball strike.
That must be it. I can’t believe I would get the two confused. In 1994 I was in HS; in 1999, I had graduated. Also, I am pretty sure the Spurs won in that shortened year and Tim Duncan was on that team.
The owners have opened their books to the players. They have provided the tax records of all 30 teams along with the league’s records to the player’s association.
There is some debate about what those records say exactly (because accounting procedures are debatable) but the players have all the information that they need.