The NBA season may not occur in 2011-12. After meeting for nearly 30 hours during a three day period, the owners and players could not come to an agreement that would have saved the NBA season and put an end to the lockout.
Representatives for the owners told reporters that a deal couldn’t be reached after the players disagreed on a 50-50 split.
However, Derek Fisher, president of the players union, later told reporters that the owners were lying about the players unwillingness to negotiate.
But the issue is not with NBA players and owners. The problem with the NBA is that small market teams are not able to compete with big market teams who can attract the top players.
Unlike the NFL, the NBA is a player-driven league because it has been marketed as such. There are 30 teams in the NBA, but there are only 15 certified super stars. Teams that are not fortunate enough to have a top 15 player will likely experience years of poor fan attendance and below average play on the court.
Because there aren’t many great basketball players to make the NBA competitive, the league should consider contracting to 24 teams. This would cause an increase in competition which, in turn, would add to the league’s revenue stream without sacrificing the salary cap.
But it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as a struggling NBA owner. All NBA owners are extremely wealthy and have pro teams as a side gig.
So whether NBA games are played or not, the owners will continue to have lucrative lives.–amir shaw
