ducks
06-19-2005, 06:46 PM
NBA finals players hopeful labour peace will prevail
June 19, 2005
DETROIT, United States (AFP) - San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons are locked in a tight National Basketball Association finals but that doesn't mean the players aren't thinking about the possibility of a lockout.
Asked if he is optimistic that a deal will get done within the next 12 days, Spurs star Manu Ginobili says he is optimistic the two sides will be able to agree on a new collective bargaining contract.
"I really hope so," Argentinean star Ginobili said. "I think it is going to be bad for both sides if something like that (lockout) happened.
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"In this moment I don't have my mind on that and I really don't care until next week.
"There is something really big we are playing for now to be thinking too much about that. But of course we know it is our future and the future of the league so we are looking forward to finding a solution."
Pistons guard and 2004 playoff MVP Chauncey Billups normally makes a point of closely monitoring the labour issues but he has been too busy playing in the playoffs.
"I haven't been able to keep up with it like I usually do," Billups said. "I'm hoping that everything turns out right, but I don't want to talk about it right now because I just haven't been able to really keep up with it like I usually do.
"I've talked to some people but I still haven't been able to due my diligence."
The two sides met for more than 10 hours on Friday and are reportedly working on a new six-year deal.
NBA spokesman Russ Granik said Saturday that "significant progress" has been made over the past few days.
Commissioner David Stern said prior to game two of the 2005 NBA finals: "If July 1 comes and there is a lockout, the union will have made a mistake of epic proportions."
In the event of a lockout, Stern warned that the current owner's offer would die on the table and the players would get an increasingly lesser offer in the next round.
He said the owners promised the players a sizeable increase in NBA revenues and average salaries raised to 5.5 million US dollars from the current 4.4 million dollars.
Stern added there was a compromise in the eligibility age for new players at 19 but the union is hesitating on a tough new drug testing policy.
Last month, the NBA broke off negotiations, claiming that the union reneged on an agreement to the framework of a deal including many of the above points.
The NBA's last lockout began seven years ago and lasted over six months. It forced the cancellation of regular-season games for the first time in league history and created a substantial dropoff in league revenues.
June 19, 2005
DETROIT, United States (AFP) - San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons are locked in a tight National Basketball Association finals but that doesn't mean the players aren't thinking about the possibility of a lockout.
Asked if he is optimistic that a deal will get done within the next 12 days, Spurs star Manu Ginobili says he is optimistic the two sides will be able to agree on a new collective bargaining contract.
"I really hope so," Argentinean star Ginobili said. "I think it is going to be bad for both sides if something like that (lockout) happened.
ADVERTISEMENT
"In this moment I don't have my mind on that and I really don't care until next week.
"There is something really big we are playing for now to be thinking too much about that. But of course we know it is our future and the future of the league so we are looking forward to finding a solution."
Pistons guard and 2004 playoff MVP Chauncey Billups normally makes a point of closely monitoring the labour issues but he has been too busy playing in the playoffs.
"I haven't been able to keep up with it like I usually do," Billups said. "I'm hoping that everything turns out right, but I don't want to talk about it right now because I just haven't been able to really keep up with it like I usually do.
"I've talked to some people but I still haven't been able to due my diligence."
The two sides met for more than 10 hours on Friday and are reportedly working on a new six-year deal.
NBA spokesman Russ Granik said Saturday that "significant progress" has been made over the past few days.
Commissioner David Stern said prior to game two of the 2005 NBA finals: "If July 1 comes and there is a lockout, the union will have made a mistake of epic proportions."
In the event of a lockout, Stern warned that the current owner's offer would die on the table and the players would get an increasingly lesser offer in the next round.
He said the owners promised the players a sizeable increase in NBA revenues and average salaries raised to 5.5 million US dollars from the current 4.4 million dollars.
Stern added there was a compromise in the eligibility age for new players at 19 but the union is hesitating on a tough new drug testing policy.
Last month, the NBA broke off negotiations, claiming that the union reneged on an agreement to the framework of a deal including many of the above points.
The NBA's last lockout began seven years ago and lasted over six months. It forced the cancellation of regular-season games for the first time in league history and created a substantial dropoff in league revenues.