As the CBA negotiations roll on, it would seem posturing is in full effect.
According to the Boston Globe (via Yahoo! Sports) NBA Commissioner David Stern said the players union canceled a scheduled meeting for this past week. But, a union source says otherwise:
“The NBA refused to have a staff meeting [Thursday],” a union official said. “Billy Hunter has been with the [National Labor Relations Board] the entire week, including Thursday, and the NBPA was told that Stern would be completely unavailable to meet for the next two weeks.”
Someone either dropped the ball here, or is lying to us. Either way, this rhetoric has to end if both sides want to save the season from losing games or the entire upcoming season. Everyone knows how disastrous it would be including Stern himself:
“Our players will understand that when the rhetoric stops, and they will understand that the owners are trying to do the right thing and our players always try to do the right thing.”
If the two sides don’t reach agreement on a new labor contract, Stern told the Globe, “the alternative is very destructive.”
Stern is no stranger to rhetoric himself. He mentions how the owners are trying to do the right thing. Really? Then how would he explain the owners reportedly attempting to break the union, and possibly asking for a cut of the players endorsement money?. If that’s all true, then how can the players think the owners are trying their best to do what’s right?
Yeah, I’m not buying this. The owners seem hell bent to get what they want and are willing to lose a season if need be. They already filed suit against the players union, and now there’s this reported canceled meeting.
It’s going to get worse before it gets better people and more reports will come out such as this in the initial stages of negotiations. Buckle your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Photo: Getty Images
