Spirit of '99: 2011 Lockout Discussion

[Andrew]

So, while we could still hope for a lockout similar to the one that took place before the 1996 season which was resolved in time for things to be business as usual for the most part, it's going to take a miracle for a lockout to be avoided altogether.

NBA heads to CBA deadline day, sides far apart

Meanwhile Billy Hunter, who has spoken out against the "flex cap" proposal, isn't so keen on his players voicing one of their concerns.

After Kevin Garnett delivered an inspired sermon in the NBA players union meeting a week ago, declaring his willingness to sit out the season and forfeit $18.8 million in salary, a far more measured voice spoke up with 60 rank-and-file players in a New York hotel ballroom.

Shane Battier’s question, directed to Players Association executive director Billy Hunter, was simple: The NFL’s union leader, DeMaurice Smith, had agreed to take $1 in salary for the length of the NFL lockout.

Will you do it too, Billy?

The mere suggestion seemed to offend Hunter, players witnessing the exchange privately told Yahoo! Sports. After Hunter told Battier he hadn’t given it much thought, members of the union’s executive board came to Hunter’s defense. Hunter had taken the union from the red to the black in his term, done a good job, they said. Hunter never did give Battier a firm answer, nor would he answer the question for Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday.

[Mavs4Life]

After Kevin Garnett delivered an inspired sermon

I literally thought about this today. I was like If KG's there he's got to knock something in on these guys. Hopefully we won't lose regular season games, or not too many of them. I hate lockouts. u

[benji]

Gentlemen, we have lockout.

[Houndy]

Hopefully, we won't lose any games. We have till September till panic should start

[Mavs4Life]

Yup, there's still time b4 panic. Until then 2k cpu vs cpu .

[x-uNdErRaTeD-z]

Great. Time for some good FIBA/ Euroleague basketball. With college included.

[Andrew]

Hopefully the meetings continue and some progress can be made sooner rather than later.

From Dime Magazine: NBA.com Could Look Like This At Midnight

It’s almost here. But I don’t think anyone thought about this. When the the current collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight, you won’t be able to go to NBA.com and watch Blake Griffin dunk highlights from his rookie season, or read analysis from last week’s NBA Draft. While the revolution might be televised, it’s going to feature a whole lot of David Stern, Mike Brown and Sekou Smith, and none of Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade.

What am I talking about? When the clock strikes midnight tonight, all the photos, videos and even potentially names of NBA players have to disappear off all NBA-owned digital properties. That means NBA.com, your team’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed, and anywhere else run by the league.

It’s almost here. But I don’t think anyone thought about this. When the the current collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight, you won’t be able to go to NBA.com and watch Blake Griffin dunk highlights from his rookie season, or read analysis from last week’s NBA Draft. While the revolution might be televised, it’s going to feature a whole lot of David Stern, Mike Brown and Sekou Smith, and none of Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade.

What am I talking about? When the clock strikes midnight tonight, all the photos, videos and even potentially names of NBA players have to disappear off all NBA-owned digital properties. That means NBA.com, your team’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed, and anywhere else run by the league.

On the plus side, we could still get some early 90s and before content/highlights.

[Mavs4Life]

Yes, hopefully NBA TV will air some hardwood classics. All they keep doing is the Finals games.

[rise]

And the NBA draft. Over and over.

[Andrew]

Yes, hopefully NBA TV will air some hardwood classics. All they keep doing is the Finals games.

I'm hoping ESPN Australia will as well.

[koberulz]

Be interesting to see what One does. They've had classic games in the leadup to the season in years past, but with the focus being taken away from sport that may not happen this year.

[redbull94600]

I hope european championships will be great with all those nba stars who signed with the clubs. Some players like TP9 or Boris Diaw are shareholders in France and they'll probably play for their club. Yesterday, Hilton Armstrong signed with l'ASVEL, It is not a very good player but it is all the same an experimented player. So it would be great to see other NBA players in european teams.

[benji]

Don't hold your breath for that. There's a lot of money they could be losing if they do that.

[Lamrock]

NBA.com is so depressing now. I didn't go on there often but now I miss the bombardment of graphics and terrible Fran Blinesbury articles.

[benji]

They just finally got the redirects working, you could browse the entire website still by going around the main page for two hours or so.

[redbull94600]

I've found the list of all the things which are not allowed to do. If the rules aren't respected, it's one million dollars of fine.

1- Players don't have to communicate with the leaders and the staff.
2- The leaders don't have to communicate with players, agents, a representative of an equipment mark, families and friends.
For exemple: a leader who's invited to a wedding ceremony of a player, will have to ask the NBA to give him the permission.
3- If a leader nevertheless has to meet a player, he has to make it in the presence of a person of the NBA, and the conversation must be recorded.
4- Players don't have to wear clothes with the logo of their teams.
5- The NBA and the teams websites have to remove photos and videos of players.
6- The persons who take care of the ticket office of a team don't have to mention the names of the players on their posters.
7- The NBA doesn't have to mention the names of players on Facebook or Twitter and to contact players by SMS or email.
8- The NBA has the possibility to verify all the telephones of its employees to make sure there was no violation of the rules.
9- Finally, as the NBA players don't have to reach the installations of their team, they don't have to attend possible concerts in the same room.

[redbull94600]

I hope that 2k sports and Electronic Arts can take out their games. Otherwise it would be terrible... lol

[benji]

There's no EA NBA game this year anyway. 2K will be fine.

[Andrew]

Be interesting to see what One does. They've had classic games in the leadup to the season in years past, but with the focus being taken away from sport that may not happen this year.

Indeed. If ESPN Australia doesn't show any classic games, hopefully One still will. During the last lockout they ran some special editions of NBA Action as well, some of which were pieced together from some of the home videos they released during the 90s but others appeared to be original material or simple highlight shows. I wouldn't mind seeing that again, though the show just isn't the same without Jim Fagan.

[benji]

well what if im sleepin with a staff member!!!she cant talk to me when she comes over..."PERFECT"who wants to here them talk LOL hahaha

He was answering questions about things all night.

[Andrew]

The NBA's YouTube channel is down to 31 videos, with the only new ones being historical content. Seems the denizens of YouTube have seen fit to dislike said videos in protest in the lockout, so we have videos of great moments in league history being very poorly rated. It's a weird form of vigilante justice, but that's YouTube for you.

[The X]

Be interesting to see what One does. They've had classic games in the leadup to the season in years past, but with the focus being taken away from sport that may not happen this year.

Indeed. If ESPN Australia doesn't show any classic games, hopefully One still will. During the last lockout they ran some special editions of NBA Action as well, some of which were pieced together from some of the home videos they released during the 90s but others appeared to be original material or simple highlight shows. I wouldn't mind seeing that again, though the show just isn't the same without Jim Fagan.

Classic games wouldn't hurt but for me, there really there is only one viable solution, a lot more college hoops

[George7]

Damn that just sucks.

What is all this stuff with the NBA.com layout and the removal of most of the youtube videos from the NBA Channel? Now that there's lockout NBA can't use any videos and photos with the players

[Fresh8]

What is all this stuff with the NBA.com layout and the removal of most of the youtube videos from the NBA Channel? Now that there's lockout NBA can't use any videos and photos with the players

Most probably because the copyright to these videos/photos are owned by the NBA but use of such media is also probably tied into player contracts and all that jazz.

[Mavs4Life]

Today's just Game Time & some dunk contests. Glad Kenny's on Game Time now, though. Lockouts are depressing, escpecially for fans like the ones on this site.