ducks
02-19-2005, 06:07 PM
NBA commissioner says lesson was learned from hockey talks
By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer
February 19, 2005
DENVER (AP) -- Only a couple of hours before the news broke that NHL labor talks would resume, NBA commissioner David Stern said Friday he'd learned a lesson from hockey's collective bargaining negotiations.
``If you think a move at the last second can do the deal, you may be raising the stakes too much and eliminating the flexibility that might come from making your move earlier,'' Stern said.
Perhaps ``Easy Dave'' is about to make a reappearance.
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Stern gave himself that nickname more than a decade ago when relations with the players' union had yet to sink to the low point they did in 1998 and 1999, when the NBA went through a costly seven-month lockout.
The seven-year agreement reached back then will expire at the end of June, and a conciliatory tone was set as players and owners held a 90-minute meeting at All-Star weekend. The sides still have major differences, but they're pledging to clear their calendars next month to try to resolve them.
``It was a very calm meeting today,'' said union president Michael Curry of the Indiana Pacers. ``The best thing that was said was: 'Let's get a deal sooner rather than later.'''
Stern and union director Billy Hunter pledged to hold several smaller negotiating sessions in March, and Curry even said he's optimistic a deal will be reached by the end of the regular season.
Neither Stern nor Hunter were that positive, but Stern said the recent cancellation of the NHL season had made him stop and reflect. A veteran negotiator with a reputation as a tenacious litigator, Stern said each side in the hockey impasse softened its stance too late.
Last Monday, the hockey players dropped their unequivocal opposition to a salary cap, and the NHL owners moved off their insistence on having a link between league revenues and player costs.
But less than 48 hours later, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the season. It may still be salvaged, however, if talks scheduled for Saturday in New York produce an agreement.
``Indirectly it may affect what we do,'' Curry said. ``But we haven't been negotiating based on what hockey is doing, just as we won't do it with football or baseball.''
Among the items sought by NBA owners are a reduction in the maximum length of long-term contracts, a minimum age of 20 and a reduction in the annual pay increases allowed in long-term deals.
The union is seeking reductions in the so-called escrow and luxury taxes designed to place a drag on the growth of player salaries.
Whether Stern, Hunter and their attorneys can bridge those gaps will remain the billion-dollar question.
``We know where the deal can be made. The question is are we both willing to give up something to get there, or do we end up in some lockout,'' Hunter said.
The sides have historically had difficulty reaching a middle ground in their negotiations. Not since 1988 has a new agreement been reached before the old one expired.
``We have a chance to get something done,'' Curry said. ``We're not in the same situation that we were in back in '98 when we had no structure to lean on. We do have a structure, but we have some tweaking to do to get a deal that's satisfying for both parties.''
Curry was joined by players Theo Ratliff of Portland, Eric Snow of Cleveland, Pat Garrity of Orlando, Ervin Johnson of Minnesota, Damon Jones of Miami, P.J. Brown of New Orleans and Malik Rose of San Antonio.
The owners were represented by Jerry Colangelo of Phoenix, Steve Mills of New York, Wyc Grousbeck of Boston, Micky Arison of Miami, Larry Tanenbaum of Toronto and Stan Kroenke of Denver.
By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer
February 19, 2005
DENVER (AP) -- Only a couple of hours before the news broke that NHL labor talks would resume, NBA commissioner David Stern said Friday he'd learned a lesson from hockey's collective bargaining negotiations.
``If you think a move at the last second can do the deal, you may be raising the stakes too much and eliminating the flexibility that might come from making your move earlier,'' Stern said.
Perhaps ``Easy Dave'' is about to make a reappearance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stern gave himself that nickname more than a decade ago when relations with the players' union had yet to sink to the low point they did in 1998 and 1999, when the NBA went through a costly seven-month lockout.
The seven-year agreement reached back then will expire at the end of June, and a conciliatory tone was set as players and owners held a 90-minute meeting at All-Star weekend. The sides still have major differences, but they're pledging to clear their calendars next month to try to resolve them.
``It was a very calm meeting today,'' said union president Michael Curry of the Indiana Pacers. ``The best thing that was said was: 'Let's get a deal sooner rather than later.'''
Stern and union director Billy Hunter pledged to hold several smaller negotiating sessions in March, and Curry even said he's optimistic a deal will be reached by the end of the regular season.
Neither Stern nor Hunter were that positive, but Stern said the recent cancellation of the NHL season had made him stop and reflect. A veteran negotiator with a reputation as a tenacious litigator, Stern said each side in the hockey impasse softened its stance too late.
Last Monday, the hockey players dropped their unequivocal opposition to a salary cap, and the NHL owners moved off their insistence on having a link between league revenues and player costs.
But less than 48 hours later, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the season. It may still be salvaged, however, if talks scheduled for Saturday in New York produce an agreement.
``Indirectly it may affect what we do,'' Curry said. ``But we haven't been negotiating based on what hockey is doing, just as we won't do it with football or baseball.''
Among the items sought by NBA owners are a reduction in the maximum length of long-term contracts, a minimum age of 20 and a reduction in the annual pay increases allowed in long-term deals.
The union is seeking reductions in the so-called escrow and luxury taxes designed to place a drag on the growth of player salaries.
Whether Stern, Hunter and their attorneys can bridge those gaps will remain the billion-dollar question.
``We know where the deal can be made. The question is are we both willing to give up something to get there, or do we end up in some lockout,'' Hunter said.
The sides have historically had difficulty reaching a middle ground in their negotiations. Not since 1988 has a new agreement been reached before the old one expired.
``We have a chance to get something done,'' Curry said. ``We're not in the same situation that we were in back in '98 when we had no structure to lean on. We do have a structure, but we have some tweaking to do to get a deal that's satisfying for both parties.''
Curry was joined by players Theo Ratliff of Portland, Eric Snow of Cleveland, Pat Garrity of Orlando, Ervin Johnson of Minnesota, Damon Jones of Miami, P.J. Brown of New Orleans and Malik Rose of San Antonio.
The owners were represented by Jerry Colangelo of Phoenix, Steve Mills of New York, Wyc Grousbeck of Boston, Micky Arison of Miami, Larry Tanenbaum of Toronto and Stan Kroenke of Denver.