Heading into the Midnight ET deadline, the NBA Players association and the NBA were unable to come to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), leading to the NBA most likely locking out its players tonight. Union representative Billy Hunter announced earlier today that “it’s obvious the lockout will happen tonight.”
Analysts are predicting a long lockout that could endanger the prospects of the 2011-12 season even happening. When you look at what this means following one of the most popular seasons in the NBA’s recent history, a prolonged lockout could have damaging effects on everyone from players to owners and the fans.
There is a lot of people looking at the negotiations and how both sides are affected at the negotiating tables. Terms like hard cap, CBA, and revenue sharing are being thrown around left and right and people will overanalyze the meanings of these terms. It may be more important to see the effects a long work stoppage will have on the different parties, including the fans that will have to wait and watch the proceedings.
Taking a look at the owners of the NBA franchises, they might have the most to lose out of all of the parties involved or affected. The 2010-11 season was one of the most popular in recent memory, and most of that momentum will be lost the second that the owners decide to lock those doors. The potential revenue gains from ticket sales, merchandise, and TV rights that could have been projected following that season will be negated by a lockout. According to Forbes magazine, 17 of the 30 NBA franchises lost money in 2010 and that those figures will be hard to change without a change in salary structure and the players returning some of the exorbitant salaries they are being paid. Without the revenue, you have to wonder how long the owners can go without basketball before a lockout has damaging effects on lower market franchises.
With labor issues also affecting the NFL, another major sport in the United States having labor issues will paint a picture of greed for both sides. In the forum of public opinion, short of any one side making major concessions to the other publicly, there can be no “good” guys in this matter. NBA owners are seen as big money players who have millions of dollars and are not sympathetic figures. Owners like the Maloof brothers (in Sacramento), Mark Cuban (owner of the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks), and James Dolan (owner of the New York Knicks) are big wigs that seem to throw the money around. It does not put into light smaller markets which are struggling to keep up as the top franchises are beginning to make even more money.
Meanwhile, the Players Union is fighting for the players and they are not coming out on top of this struggle, either. A long lockout will begin to hurt in a number of ways. First, the players are also looking greedy in their stance of refusing to give some salaries back as teams are reporting losses. As the salaries rose, players were signing these big contracts left and right. Now they are tied to the contracts and they do not feel as though they should have to commit money back to teams, noting that teams would not do the same if the situation was reversed and they were making too much money.
It will only be a matter of time before a long work stoppage will have its effect on players’ monetary accounts. The top stars will most likely be fine, but it is of note that some players do live extravagant lifestyles with high standards of living. When September and October begins to roll out and the game checks do not come, will the players be able to handle not receiving the income?
On the court, a lost season or some games being cancelled might stunt the growth of younger players and teams and older vets may watch their window to win an NBA championship close. Time is the one thing that you cannot win a battle against. As those minutes count down, what happens to guys like Kobe Bryant, chasing another ring or two before his career is over? Or maybe Steve Nash, an NBA great still seeking to win his first ring? Even looking at the development of young teams like Oklahoma City and Memphis, a long lockout might stunt them working out together and maybe getting in the work that these veteran teams spent years putting together. Players can hang out, and even participate in workouts on their own, but training camp is something that cannot be duplicated. The teaching and the bonding is missing.
Then there are the millions of NBA fans across the world. Ratings were up last season, the NBA is more popular than it has been, and now the fans might be facing a long lockout, where losing a season is a big possibility. With the NFL also locked out, the potential loss of two major sports in the fall might turn many casual fans away from the game. Facing facts, the devoted fans will return, but the gains on those casual fans might be lost for years to come.
All in all, there are no winners when a league decides to stop, whether it is an owner lockout or a player strike. The NBA is poised to go through with the lockout tonight, so we will have to wait and see as to whether or not this will last and cost the NBA some games.
Cecil Butler III - A sports fan first, but one who looks at sports from all angles objectively with 20 years of self-taught knowledge.
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