While Tim and Dirk would probably help from the perspective of the public (i.e. give an image of professionalism that Lebron and Wade may not have), they are not the future of the game, and have less sway with the NBA, which has made its money off their star power, and won't make much more down the road. In terms of sway with the NBA, they don't have the same power (though Dirk has more than Tim at this point).
The reality is that the best person to show up from a player perspective would probably be Kobe. He has both player respect and high earning power for the league.
I thought this might come to an end, but both parties seem to be digging in. Of course, for players its just a matter of time. Sure Wade and Lebron can talk about cancelling the season as no big deal, but most of the players in the league don't have Lebron/Wade money and they have bills to pay. Foreign dollars probably help (for those on foreign rosters), but there is a big difference between playing on the big stage in the NBA - a global showcase- and playing on club teams in Europe.
Ultimately, the players need the owners more than the owners need the players. The owners don't need the NBA stage to make their millions. None of the owners rely on the NBA as their sole source of income.
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