NBA PM: NBA Players Re-Define Insanity?
Earlier this afternoon, HOOPSWORLD’s Joel Brigham reported that the NBA Players have chosen to move in the direction of decertifying the NBA Players Association. In response, NBA Commissioner David Stern released the following statement:
“At a bargaining session in February 2010, Jeffrey Kessler, counsel for the union, threatened that the players would abandon the collective bargaining process and start an antitrust lawsuit against our teams if they did not get a bargaining resolution that was acceptable to them.
“In anticipation of this day, the NBA filed an unfair labor practice charge before the National Labor Relations Board asserting that, by virtue of its continued threats, the union was not bargaining in good faith. We also began a litigation in federal court in anticipation of this same bargaining tactic.
“The NBA has negotiated in good faith throughout the collective bargaining process, but — because our revised bargaining proposal was not to its liking – the union has decided to make good on Mr. Kessler’s threat.
“There will ultimately be a new collective bargaining agreement, but the 2011-12 season is now in jeopardy.”
So to review the situation, the Players are going the same route that the NFL Players went last summer, using the same attorney – Jeffrey Kessler. Kessler lost this same battle for the NFL Players and will most certainly face the same result with the NBA Players.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result . . .and it appears there is a great deal of insanity on the side of the NBA Players.
Stay tuned . . .
Kevin Durant’s Secret Weapon
Over the weekend Kevin Durant was in Dallas to take part in a charity game for the Josh Howard Foundation. While there he took a few minutes to talk with HOOPSWORLD about the importance of giving back to the community, his thoughts on the lockout, the Thunder’s next evolutionary step, and the secret weapon that will help him take his game to the next level. Check out that exclusive interview below:
Houston’s Lockout Advantage
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was busy hosting his own charity game over the weekend, and there to support the cause was Howard’s best friend and former Magic teammate Courtney Lee. Lee is now a member of the Houston Rockets, but was more than happy to get a chance to play some organized basketball with fellow NBA players.
“All I can really do is just keep working out,” Lee told HOOPSWORLD of staying ready for when the lockout eventually ends. “I play some pick-up games just about every day, some of the other guys play every day. Then you’ve got people putting on events like this and it’s good to get up and down the floor and get a sweat going. We’re out there having fun, but at the same time we’re running up and down getting a sweat, so there are ways to stay in shape.”
Still, Lee, like so many of his colleagues, can’t help feeling like he should be playing NBA basketball right now.
“I think about that every day when I wake up. I’d be in Houston, we’d be practicing right now, playing games . . .I think about that every day. It’s important to get back on the court, but at the same time it’s important to make sure we get the right deal. With all of the changes there can be things that effect guys like me in the NBA, so we just have to make sure we get the right deal.”
Kyle Lowry is Houston’s player representative to the ongoing negotiations in New York, but Lee is staying informed in a number of different ways.
“I’m super-involved. I’m on HoopsHype, other websites, I’m talking to my agent, talking to the player reps every day.”
Players and teams will likely have to get ready on the fly once the lockout finally ends. There will be very little time to get rosters together and training camp will be abbreviated, at best. Lee says he feels continuity will help the Rockets when the time comes.
“It will help a lot that we have guys coming back from last year’s team, and we see each other a lot during the offseason. Kevin (Martin) is in Tampa, other guys are around, so we see each other all the time and we keep that rhythm. Before the lockout Kevin McHale said that we were going to keep a lot of the same stuff that Rick Adelman had us doing, so it should be easier for us than it will be for some teams.”
Of course, the Rockets have a huge hole to fill at center, but otherwise they expect to have many of the same players back who staged a strong playoff push last season. A strong start might even be the key to them returning to postseason play. Until the lockout ends, however, it’s just good to know that the guys are staying in touch, working out together, and striving to be as ready as possible when the time comes to get back to the business of NBA basketball.
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NBA Chats: There are three NBA Chats scheduled for today starting with HOOPSWORLD’s Bill Ingram at 11am. HOOPSWORLD’s Anthony Macri will host his weekly NBA Chat at 3pm EST. Coach Macri works with NBA Players year round in developing their game, so drop in your questions for Coach Macri now. HOOPSWORLD editor Jason Fleming rounds out the day with his weekly NBA chat at 8pm EST. You can always find the next NBA Chat here: http://www.hoopsworld.com/upcoming-chats/ and if you are looking for Previous Chats try here: http://www.hoopsworld.com/previous-chats/
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