NBA lockout: Crisis averted
Gerald Narciso
Issue date: 6/29/05 Section: Sports
Hats off to the NBA, for avoiding committing business suicide by not going on strike this summer. Having learned their lesson through the incompetence of the NHL, (their lockout forced the cancellation of last season) the NBA Owners and the NBA Players Association came to terms to a new collective bargaining agreement last week. While most people predicted that the two sides would not reach an agreement for the entire summer, (thus loosing the Summer League which is held here at SLCC) both parties surprisingly struck a deal way before the July 1 deadline.
According to NBA Commissioner, David Stern, the agreement was about a 50-50 win for both sides. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will last 6 years, and will be brought up again at the end of the 2011-2012 season.
The biggest and most controversial issue the two sides would have to agree on was the age limit debate. The League and its owners wanted to put a stop to high school players entering the draft, because they felt it was bad for business and too many players were ruining their careers by entering the draft. The owners wanted to put a 20-year-old age limit, therefore forcing high school stars to attend college. The Players Association on the other hand, felt that you cannot take away a high school player's right to make a living after he graduates. Both sides knew that the other wouldn't completely fold on this issue, so they wisely agreed on a 19-year old age limit.
The owners got what they wanted as far as a reduction in the maximum number of years a contract is guaranteed to six years. The owners were also able to reduce rookie guaranteed contracts from three years to two. As for the players, team salary caps were increased a few million, making more money available to spend on players. Also the number of active roster spots (the number of players allowed to be in uniform) rose from 12 to 14. This will give a team to have more roster sports available for players.
I'm happy that both sides compromised and made sacrifices, in order to evade losing a season over this. I'm definitely convinced that if a lockout would force the cancellation of next season, the NBA would lose a good majority of its fans. It took years for Baseball to bounce back after its strike ending season in 1994. In my opinion, the NBA has not fully recovered from its lockout-shortened season (the 82-game season was reduced to 54) in 1999.
The NBA has enough image problems as it is, and a lockout would only enhance the public's perception of NBA players being selfish and greedy. A stoppage in play due to a labor dispute would have been the last straw in many fans' eyes. But fortunately for the NBA, they won't have to worry about those consequences for the time being. Six years to be exact.
According to NBA Commissioner, David Stern, the agreement was about a 50-50 win for both sides. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will last 6 years, and will be brought up again at the end of the 2011-2012 season.
The biggest and most controversial issue the two sides would have to agree on was the age limit debate. The League and its owners wanted to put a stop to high school players entering the draft, because they felt it was bad for business and too many players were ruining their careers by entering the draft. The owners wanted to put a 20-year-old age limit, therefore forcing high school stars to attend college. The Players Association on the other hand, felt that you cannot take away a high school player's right to make a living after he graduates. Both sides knew that the other wouldn't completely fold on this issue, so they wisely agreed on a 19-year old age limit.
The owners got what they wanted as far as a reduction in the maximum number of years a contract is guaranteed to six years. The owners were also able to reduce rookie guaranteed contracts from three years to two. As for the players, team salary caps were increased a few million, making more money available to spend on players. Also the number of active roster spots (the number of players allowed to be in uniform) rose from 12 to 14. This will give a team to have more roster sports available for players.
I'm happy that both sides compromised and made sacrifices, in order to evade losing a season over this. I'm definitely convinced that if a lockout would force the cancellation of next season, the NBA would lose a good majority of its fans. It took years for Baseball to bounce back after its strike ending season in 1994. In my opinion, the NBA has not fully recovered from its lockout-shortened season (the 82-game season was reduced to 54) in 1999.
The NBA has enough image problems as it is, and a lockout would only enhance the public's perception of NBA players being selfish and greedy. A stoppage in play due to a labor dispute would have been the last straw in many fans' eyes. But fortunately for the NBA, they won't have to worry about those consequences for the time being. Six years to be exact.
