duncan228
02-13-2010, 03:02 AM
Union nixes NBA's CBA offer (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Union_nixes_NBAs_CBA_offer.html)
Mike Monroe
DALLAS — The NBA's collective bargaining talks with its players' union are off to a halting start.
After a meeting that lasted most of the day Friday, National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter announced that the union had effectively asked the owners, who had brought a formal proposal to the talks, to start over.
“It was agreed at the end that the owners would tear up their proposal,” Hunter said. “That proposal for all intents and purposes is off the table. The players, we'll sit down and sometime in the near future, will put together our idea of what the proposal should or will look like.”
Adam Silver, the NBA's Deputy Commissioner and the head of the league's negotiating team, issued a written response to the NBPA's rejection of the NBA's proposal.
“While we do not agree with the Players Association's characterization of today's meeting or the status of the NBA's bargaining proposal, David (NBA Commissioner David Stern) will address the subject of collective bargaining during his media availability prior to All-Star Saturday night.”
Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, president of the NBPA, characterized the league's proposal as seeking a hard salary cap, something he said the players could not accept.
“What we made clear today is where they are is not relevant to where we are,” Fisher said. “We're not going to begin where they said to begin.”
Hunter stressed that the talks remain contentious, but civil.
“Initially, it was a bit contentious and heated,” Hunter said. “We were pretty forceful in our position. They may have sensed things got out of control a bit because of the nature of the proposal, sort of like they would go for the jugular.”
Tim Duncan, the Spurs' 12-time All-Star, said all players understand the importance of the collective bargaining talks and accept that they are a necessary distraction during All-Star weekend.
“It's not odd at all,” he said. “You understand the situation you're in and you understand it's coming, whether we like it or not. It's something we're going to have to face.”
Duncan said the players who went through the lockout in 1998 are better prepared for potential problems.
“It's definitely a concern,” he said. “A couple of us have been through the last one that came about. Changes were made then, and we understand the owners want to make changes again.
“It's going to be a fight, back and forth, and trying to find a happy medium somewhere.”
Mike Monroe
DALLAS — The NBA's collective bargaining talks with its players' union are off to a halting start.
After a meeting that lasted most of the day Friday, National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter announced that the union had effectively asked the owners, who had brought a formal proposal to the talks, to start over.
“It was agreed at the end that the owners would tear up their proposal,” Hunter said. “That proposal for all intents and purposes is off the table. The players, we'll sit down and sometime in the near future, will put together our idea of what the proposal should or will look like.”
Adam Silver, the NBA's Deputy Commissioner and the head of the league's negotiating team, issued a written response to the NBPA's rejection of the NBA's proposal.
“While we do not agree with the Players Association's characterization of today's meeting or the status of the NBA's bargaining proposal, David (NBA Commissioner David Stern) will address the subject of collective bargaining during his media availability prior to All-Star Saturday night.”
Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, president of the NBPA, characterized the league's proposal as seeking a hard salary cap, something he said the players could not accept.
“What we made clear today is where they are is not relevant to where we are,” Fisher said. “We're not going to begin where they said to begin.”
Hunter stressed that the talks remain contentious, but civil.
“Initially, it was a bit contentious and heated,” Hunter said. “We were pretty forceful in our position. They may have sensed things got out of control a bit because of the nature of the proposal, sort of like they would go for the jugular.”
Tim Duncan, the Spurs' 12-time All-Star, said all players understand the importance of the collective bargaining talks and accept that they are a necessary distraction during All-Star weekend.
“It's not odd at all,” he said. “You understand the situation you're in and you understand it's coming, whether we like it or not. It's something we're going to have to face.”
Duncan said the players who went through the lockout in 1998 are better prepared for potential problems.
“It's definitely a concern,” he said. “A couple of us have been through the last one that came about. Changes were made then, and we understand the owners want to make changes again.
“It's going to be a fight, back and forth, and trying to find a happy medium somewhere.”