A couple of days ago, we shared how Carmelo Anthony doesn’t think players are getting their message out in this lockout. And I agreed, adding that players need to start spreading the word that they’re the ones making concessions, and any owners concessions are just them backing off the ridiculous demands they made at the start of talks.
Maybe they’re starting to do just that.
Kevin Durant was on the radio in Oklahoma City yesterday, saying players have been giving up plenty.
“Well first of all, we’re not trying to get more money. We already gave up money, we sacrificed money in our negotiating to try to make a deal. But the owners won’t budge.”
A star going on a bit of the offensive is rare in these talks. I don’t know why big stars like Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Garnett haven’t been given scripts and told to make themselves available to radio and TV talk shows. Coach them up, have them rehearse the answers, and then let them be mouthpieces for your side.
Durant’s line is so simple. “We sacrificed money… the owners won’t budge.”
It’s that easy, players. And it’s true.
There’s plenty of anti-player sentiment out there and it all stems from the same feeling: players are greedy and they should just take the deal because they’re still getting paid tons of money.
Get on that PR bandwagon, superstars. The NBPA needs a little PR boost to help sell its case.
