The NBA’s House of Cards – Don’t Bet Against the House.
I think the lockout has come to its most crucial moments. The Players Association has fought long and hard for its position but they have run out of negotiating room. The players are faced with the fact that the owners have all the cards at this point. I liken it to bluffing at the card table at the casino. It ...works for a while but the owners are the “house” and they control all the cards. The only option the players have would be to go and play in Europe or Asia for one quarter to one third of the salaries they are now making, therefore The NBA is the best platform for them to exhibit their wares. For that reason the players are stuck in a very poor negotiating posture.
Because the League has expanded to 30 teams developing many more jobs the players should understand that The NBA won’t be able to maintain its cohesion if all of the teams don’t have the potential to make money and/or win the NBA Championship. The smaller market teams have been losing money steadily for the past few years and until their situation gets better there will be a downward spiral for the health of the entire league. The big market teams such as LA, Chicago, NYC, Boston and Miami will do well but the other teams that have small cable markets don’t do well and are operating mainly in the red. The owners will have to work that situation out amongst themselves but they won’t be able to start until they have a deal with the Players Association that won’t interfere with whatever the owners decide to work out in terms of revenue sharing. So I would advise the Players Association to take the 50/50 deal and to be grateful for the opportunities they have.
Regarding the other main contention about the mid level cap, I think mid-level salaries will grow as the league continues to grow, but the players must exhibit some patience. I couldn’t have done my job without the role players that made it possible for me to shine and that will always be the case no matter how many superstars end up being on a team (see Miami). However in any organization the top performers are always the ones that are making more than the role players and I don’t think that template will change anytime soon. If mid-level players want to make more money they have to accept the fact that they have to consistently perform at a high level. If they do that, then they should be rewarded based on their performance.
Maybe the players should give it some more thought before they decertify their union....
