While some of the most exciting NBA Playoff games we’ve had in a while are taking place, all the under the table talk continues to be about how the NBA will likely follow the NFL’s lead and lock it’s players out at the start of their next league year on July 1st.
NBAPA union president Derek Fisher tore the new offer to shreds, and given that union head Billy Hunter has said that there is a 99% chance of a lockout if the offer he originally received stayed the same, well, the writing is pretty much on the wall there, isn’t it?
“Unfortunately, the proposal is very similar to the proposal the league submitted over a year ago,” union president Derek Fisher told ESPN.com. “This last proposal doesn’t look close to what we were expecting.”
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“We are taking a close look at each piece of the proposal, and I along with my players and executive committee will be determining what next steps best move this process forward,” Fisher said. “I continue to work on this daily, take this very seriously, and have a responsibility to my players to try and get a deal done.”
It looks more and more likely that we’re headed towards a similar bloodbath with the NBA as we are with the NFL. The NBAPA will likely follow the same precedent used by the NFLPA if this scenario continues, leading to less time on the basketball court and more time in regular courts.