NBA lockout: Billy Hunter suggests players start their own league

While the NBA lockout languidly persists, Billy Hunter has an idea to get the players back on the court.

“Maybe we can start our own league,” said Hunter, the executive director of what used to be the NBA players union during a panel Wednesday evening, according to author Touré via SLAM.

"There’s talk of getting a TV deal and creating a new league but it’d have to be with a network that’s unafraid to cross the NBA."

Forget the owners and their proposed 50-50 split of basketball-related income, apparently some of the players think that they can do it all on their own.

Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire seems to be on board.

Last month he told Sporting News: "It's just a matter of us strategically coming up with a plan, a blueprint and putting it together. So we'll see how this lockout goes. If it goes one or two years, then we've got to start our own league."

Negotiating venues and a television deal, however, could be a very lengthy process. But perhaps this idea, if it takes on real momentum, could be one of the impetuses that could spur an agreement with the owners.

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Photo: Billy Hunter, right, with Derek Fisher. Credit: Shannon Stapleton / Reuters.

Occupy L.A.? How about Occupy Staples Center!

NBA fans. It's time to unite.

We are the 99%.

Those who miss seeing a Kobe Bryant crossover or a LeBron James dunk should take a lesson from the Occupy L.A. movement. Let's sit outside of Staples Center and demand that the billionaire owners and millionaire players come to an agreement on how to share the lucrative sum generated from basketball-related income (BRI). 

Our protest doesn't need to be entirely thought out.

The Occupy L.A. protesters have stymied traffic in downtown L.A.'s financial district. They hope to stimulate the economy while preventing workers from getting to their jobs.

We just need to take action.

After  the expiration of the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement, the owners are demanding that the players accept 50% of BRI instead of the previously agreed upon 57%, arguing that 22 of 30 teams in the league combined to lose $300 million last season.

We don't care how you split your ridiculous salaries, many of which have more commas than a run-on sentence.

We just want to watch basketball.

NBA fans. It's time to unite.

We are the 99%.

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-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Protesters demonstrate in downtown L.A. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

NBA players file antitrust suits against the league

The NBA labor dispute has moved a long way off the court -- and into the courtroom.

On Tuesday, a group of players filed separate lawsuits against the NBA, alleging antitrust violations, in federal courts in Minneapolis and Oakland.

Pistons guard Ben Gordon and the No. 2 pick in June's NBA daft, Derrick Williams, plus two other players filed their suit in Minneapolis. Their case alleges the NBA owners' latest offer for a new labor contract would have "wiped out the competitive market for most NBA players," according to the Associated Press.

Later in the day five players, including All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant, filed a similar case against the NBA in the Northern District of California in Oakland.

David Boies, an attorney representing the players, said in a press conference: "We hope it's not necessary to go to trial.... [It's in] everybody's interests to resolve this quickly."

On Monday, the NBA players' union rejected the league's latest contract and began disbanding the union so players could file antitrust suits against the league.

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-- Barry Stavro  

Photo: New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony during a news conference Monday as the National Basketball Players Assn.  rejected the league's latest contract offer.  Credit: Reuters / Shannon Stapleton.

NBA cancels more games

A day after the players’ union rejected the NBA's latest contract offer and began the process of disbanding the union, the NBA told teams that it had canceled all games through Dec. 15, a league source confirmed to The Times Tuesday afternoon.

The union is expected to file a “disclaimer of interest” so it can convert to a trade association as the dispute moves into the courts. Players are expected to file antitrust lawsuits against the NBA claiming the league conspired to prevent them from making a living.

The players have been locked out by NBA owners for 139 days.

Previously, NBA Commissioner David Stern had canceled all games through Nov. 30.

Stern had hoped to reach a new labor agreement with the players this week so that they could start playing games on Dec. 15, but clearly that won’t be the case.

-- Broderick Turner

Photo: Billy Hunter, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association and Derek Fisher, President of the National Basketball Players Association speak at a press conference Monday after NBA players rejected the latest labor offer from the league. Credit: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images.

NBA lockout talks stall...again

Negotiations between NBA owners and players have stopped again without a new deal in place.

The NBA owners offered a new proposal to the players' union Thursday night, but union executives looked less than impressed.

"It’s not the greatest proposal in the world but I have an obligation to at least present it to our membership," said union chief Billy Hunter (pictured above).

Player representatives from the 30 NBA teams will meet Monday or Tuesday in New York to review the owners' latest offer. If they do not agree to the contract after those meetings, the offer will get worse, NBA Commissioner David Stern said.

"We await the response from the union," Stern said.

There is still a chance at a 72-game season that starts Dec. 15, Stern said, though the union would have to agree to the revised proposal early next week.

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Photo credit: John Minchillo / Associated Press

NBA players, owners decide to meet again today

Less than 24 hours after locked out NBA players turned down team owners' latest contract proposal, the two sides agreed to meet Wednesday to continue negotiations.

The owners and players union were to sit down together in New York at 1 p.m. Eastern time (10 a.m. Pacific).

Both union executive director Billy Hunter and NBA Commissioner David Stern had said Tuesday afternoon that they would be willing to meet Wednesday to see if they could get a deal done.

Stern had given the players a 5 p.m. Eastern deadline to accept the league's offer, or risk the next offer being less.

The players rejected that offer after meeting with 43 players, 29 of them representatives for their teams, Tuesday in New York.

The players now have been locked out for 132 days and have seen the entire regular-season schedule for the month of November canceled.

-- Broderick Turner

Photo: Players union president Derek Fisher speaks at a press conference, joined by union executive director Billy Hunter and other NBA players Tuesday. Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

NBA players union hopes to educate team representatives at meeting

When representatives from all 30 NBA teams convene Tuesday in New York for a mandatory union meeting to discuss all the issues involving the lockout, it will give the Players’ Association executive board a chance to inform them on what’s at stake, said a source involved in the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has given players an ultimatum to accept the league's latest contract offer of a 49%-to-51% split of basketball revenue by the close of business Wednesday, or Stern said the next offer would be less generous.

There have been reports of discord among players, including some who want to accept the deal, others who reject the offer and still more who want to consider decertification of the union.

Tuesday’s union meeting is intended to clear the air with the representatives so they can take informed information back to their teammates.

“We know that tomorrow is when guys are going to get educated,” the source said. “He should know what exactly what’s going on when he comes out of [the meeting].”

Meanwhile, Lakers guard Steve Blake, who has three years and $12 million left on his contract, reportedly has been calling players in an effort to get the union to allow the players to take a vote on the latest offer by the owners. Blake reportedly has said it should be a “yes” or “no” vote.

Anthony Parker, a team representative for the Cleveland Cavaliers who will be a free agent after earning $2.9 million last season, said the players he has talked to want to reject Stern's offer.

“I don’t think they are doing anything out of respect,” the source said. “But they don’t know what’s going on. They haven’t been to the meetings. Derek [Fisher] is the [union] president. All they have to do is make one phone call.”

The source also said the 50/50 revenue split offered by the league would come after operating expenses for the owners. Thus, it wouldn’t be a “true” 50-50 split, he said.

The source also said various players are upset that former stars like Michael Jordan, now an owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson think the current NBA players are wrong for taking their stance.

“I’m disappointed with the former basketball players,” the source said. “It’s not right for them to say we should limit the [stars] of tomorrow. We supported the Jordan brand. We supported Magic and Charles Barkley. But then for them not to give the support back to us, it’s frustrating.”

 -- Broderick Turner

Photo: Lakers guard Steve Blake drives to the basket against the Hawks' Marvin Williams, left, and Jamal Crawford during a game last season at Staples Center. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

David Stern says NBA players have until Wednesday to accept deal

Setting the stage for four days of intense contemplation, NBA Commissioner David Stern late Saturday told players they had until the end of Wednesday to accept a deal that would provide them between 49% and 51% of basketball-related income as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Stern spoke at the end of an 8½-hour negotiating session presided over by federal mediator George Cohen, who made six compromise suggestions to players and owners. Stern said the owners were willing to adopt five of the proposals but that the players’ union flatly rejected them.

Lakers guard Derek Fisher, president of the players’ union, said players offered to take around 51% of BRI, down from their previous 52.5% demands. He said “there’s no way in the world” players would receive 51% of the BRI under the owners’ flexible proposal.

“We’ve made the effort,” Fisher said. “It just doesn’t seem to be good enough for this particular group of owners.”

Player reaction to Stern’s take-it-or-leave-it offer was swift on Twitter.

“U gotta love an ultimatum,” tweeted San Antonio Spurs guard Steve Novak. “How does basketball ever even get to this point?”

-- Ben Bolch

Photo: NBA Commissioner David Stern addresses the media following a failed labor negotiation last month in New York. Credit: Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press

NBA lockout: Union decertification could mean no 2011-12 season

Negotiations between NBA players and owners this weekend will have greater importance because of the threat of decertification lingering in the background.

Frustrated with the lack of progress in talks to end the lockout, some NBA players are considering an appeal to the National Labor Relations Board for decertification of the players' union, an legal extreme step that could take months to sort out and would threaten the entire NBA season.

If the union decertifies, players can sue the NBA under U.S. antitrust laws, likely claiming that the NBA conspired to deny their ability to market themselves by locking players out when the last collective-bargaining agreement expired July 1.

It would take months for courts to reach a final ruling on lawsuits filed against the NBA, according to legal experts.

"If the players decertify, you have to say that the odds are that there will be no season," said Bill Gould, a Stanford law professor and former NLRB chairman of the board who wrote the book "Bargaining With Baseball."

"I don’t think you can get definitive resolution from the court of appeals until January at the earliest."

Talks on a new collective-bargaining agreement have broken down each of the last two weeks, though owners and players will try again to find a solution Saturday in New York. The NBA has already canceled the first month of the season, and further cancellations are expected if a deal isn't reached soon.

--Mike Bresnahan

Photo: Players union President Derek Fisher after a negotiating session last month. Credit:  Frank Franklin II / Associated Press

NBA players, owners might meet Saturday

NBA players and owners could resume their labor negotiations Saturday.

The NBA has a Board of Governors meeting Saturday morning in New York and the players union is discussing Thursday whether they want to give the negotiations another shot at ending the lockout, now in its 126th day.

Negotiations have stalled each of the last two weeks, with owners and players stuck on the much-publicized split of basketball-related income. Owners have insisted on a 50-50 BRI split while players have agreed to come down to 52% after making 57% last season.

All games have been canceled until at least Dec. 1, with more cancellations likely if there’s no agreement by the end of next week.

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Heat owner Micky Arison fined $500,000 for lockout-related tweets

Miami Heat owner Micky Arison seems to be a smart businessman. He's the founder and chairman of Carnival Cruises, and Forbes estimates his total worth to be $4.2 billion. You don't get to be that successful by doing dumb things ... like tweeting about the NBA lockout when the league specifically has said not to make any comments on the topic.

But that's just what Arison did, with several lockout-related posts on his Twitter account last week. And Commissioner David Stern responded by fining Arison a reported $500,000 for the tweets.

"It was more about his timing," Stern said in an interview with the New York Post, without mentioning the amount of the fine. "We're trying very hard to get a deal done with the players, or we were, and we don't need any external distractions to that focus."

Stern added of Arison: "He believes his tweets were taken out of context and understands our concern about them. And he's very much on board with the other 29 owners about the deal that we want."

Arison's lockout-related tweets were quickly removed and he hasn't addressed the subject since.

It started when someone made a post on Arison's Twitter account, saying "Fans provide all the money you're fighting over you greedy ... pigs." Arison responded, "Honestly u r barking at the wrong owner."

Then someone else posted on Arison's account: "Know it's not ur fault at this point, it's become child's play. Grown men making stupid decisions over money." Arison replied, "Exactly."

The initial poster then responded: "Then can you bark at the other owners? This is RIDICULOUS!!!" To which Arison replied: "Now u r making some sense."

There was more, including Arison's retweeting of some other people's lockout-related comments. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, seeing that Charlotte's Michael Jordan and Washington's Ted Leonsis had already been fined for similar offenses.

Maybe Arison just needed to get some things off his chest. It's not like he can't afford it. If the going rate is $500,000 for a day's worth of Twitter outbursts, he can feel free to speak his mind some 8,400 more times before going broke.

That would keep Arison busy tweeting for the next 23 years. Hopefully the lockout doesn't last quite that long.

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Photo: Micky Arison. Credit: Michael Cohen / Getty Images

NBA lockout: Derek Fisher vs. foxsports.com

Derek Fisher is demanding a retraction of two recent foxsports.com stories, saying they were "libelous and defamatory" in a statement released Tuesday night through his publicist.

The president of the National Basketball Players Assn. was annoyed that a foxsports.com column Monday suggested he had met secretly with NBA Commissioner David Stern and was willing to accept the owners' hard-line proposal of a 50-50 split of basketball-related income. The players association publicly has toed the line at accepting 52% of BRI.

The column also alleged there was a rift between Fisher and players association executive director Billy Hunter.

"The implication that I am doing anything but working in the best interests of the players is disgusting, defamatory and a flat out lie," Fisher said in the statement. "I have issued a letter through my attorneys demanding a retraction for the libelous and defamatory stories the site and reporter have continued to publish.

"Regardless of the media reports, the Players Association, our staff, Executive Director and Executive Committee are unified and working side by side to serve our players. There should be no more distractions. We must continue to negotiate a fair deal for our players."

How much of the Kardashian-Humphries wedding was real?

Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and weigh in with a comment of your own.

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune

Carlos Boozer's defense is more real than the Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries wedding. Phil Jackson's artificial hip has more substance. The Clippers' title hopes are more legitimate.... You get the idea.

Anyone who bought Kardashian's 72-day attempt at reality show fodder, er, marriage to Humphries should consider gullibility training. Dennis Rodman's marriage to Carmen Electra lasted longer. Enough said.

Counting freebies for the $10-million wedding, sponsorships and paydays, Kardashian's take has been reported at close to $18 million. That can buy a lot of tissues.

In her statement, Kardashian sniffed, "After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage." Careful consideration? Some TV timeouts during sporting events last longer.

There's surely some truth to fond attractions, er, feelings between Kardashian and Humphries. But any reality TV "star" is as in love with his or her bank account as another human. And it won't take death for Kardashian to part with her financial windfall either.

Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times

An estimated 5 million people watched Kim Kardashian marry New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries.

Were they all duped into believing this was a real marriage?

Hmmm?

Hard to believe it was after news came down that Kardashian has filed for divorce from Humphries just 72 days after their nuptials.

Maybe Kim just can’t get over the fact that she is the only breadwinner in the family right now, seeing as how Humphries is “unemployed” due to the NBA lockout. Besides, it wasn’t like he was pulling down the kind of bread Kim was. Humphries earned $3.2 million last year in the final season of his contract with the Nets.

Heck, the ring alone he purchased for Kim reportedly cost $2 million.

Supposedly, they earned $17.9 million from the wedding, which included $2.5 million for a photo deal with People magazine and $12 million to $15 million for the four-hour, two-part wedding special for the Kardashian crew.

Now that’s good money, no matter how long you stay together.

Shannon Owens, Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel

The Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries wedding was very real. Just ask the sponsors who paid an estimated $10 million for it.

The marriage, however, is up for debate --  and one I don’t feel comfortable participating in for the purposes of a newspaper.

I don’t know these people and judging by what they’ve shared in magazines, reality shows and interviews, I don’t care to.

Here’s what I do know. He just gave teammates a wealth of comedic material and Humphries should request a private locker room for the rest of his NBA career to avoid the embarrassment that is his personal life.

As if buying a $2-million engagement ring on a $3-million or so salary in 2010 wasn’t funny enough, now teammates have the gift of watching his vows on tape courtesy of E!.

On the bright side, this should help Humphries' NBA career. Coaches know he’ll work hard since he’s got some bills to pay.

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Photo: The Kardashians at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City on Sept. 12. Credit: Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images.

NBA cancels remaining November games

Talks to end the NBA lockout Friday failed again to generate an agreement, and the league will cancel the rest of November's regular season games, basketball officials said.

[update at 3:30 p.m.: NBA Commissioner David Stern has officially canceled the rest of November's games]

[update at 3:40 p.m.: Stern said Friday's talks ended when players union Executive Director Billy Hunter said he was not willing to go "one penny" below taking 52% of basketball-related income (BRI) with the league asking players to accept a 50-50 split. The players last season earned 57% of BRI, or $2.17 billion.

"He [Hunter] closed up his book and walked out of the room," Stern said.

The commissioner added it's "not practical, possible or prudent to have a full NBA season under any circumstances. I say that with apologies to the muncipalities" that have NBA franchises.]

"We made a lot of concessions, but this time, unfortunately, it's not enough," Hunter told reporters after a five-hour-plus meeting with NBA leaders in New York.

Hunter said he felt "snookered," by Stern, who promised Thursday to make a financial move Friday.

Hunter said the NBA wanted the players to move to 50% while accepting concessions on the salary cap/luxury tax arrangement that the union deemed prohibitive.

[update at 3:40 p.m.: Stern said he pitched a more favorable arrangement for mid-level exception players and sign-and-trade deals for teams -- like the Lakers -- that would pay a luxury tax for exceeding the league's tightened salary cap.

"We made a fair number of concessions," Stern said, noting that he was willing to extend by one year contracts length to five and four years for teams that would sign their own and other teams' free agents, respectively.]

"We did what [Stern] said [he] needed, and it was like their eyes got bigger," union President Derek Fisher of the Lakers said. "They just wanted more and more."

[update at 3:40 p.m.: Stern would not promise a 50% BRI offer in the next negotations after calculating an estimated $200 million in losses by canceling the preseason and all of the regular season games in November. "The next offer will include extraordinary losses," Stern said. "Both sides are very, very damaged. The amount of dollars lost ... is extraordinary.

"You can make computations [about] who's going to make it back. I know the owners will make it back. I'm not sure the players will."]

When talks will resume is uncertain. Fisher told reporters Friday he's boarding a flight home to Los Angeles.

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Photo: Billy Hunter. Credit: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images.

 

NBA lockout: Negotiations stall again

Negotiations between the NBA and its players union stopped Friday, with multiple reports pointing to disagreement over how to split basketball-related income  as the cause.

Representatives from both sides are due to explain their positions to reporters soon in New York, and the NBA could very well cancel more games after previously canceling 100 regular-season games from Nov. 1-14.

Owners want the players to take a 7% cut of BRI after contending that 22 of 30 teams lost money last season, with the league losing $300 million.

The players haven't moved lower than 52%, according to basketball officials. It is not immediately clear when the sides will gather again.

We'll have more later on latimes.com/sports.

-- Lance Pugmire 

Big day for NBA lockout discussions

Is Day 120 the lucky one?

NBA players and owners seem more likely than ever to end the lockout, though there are still obstacles in the way of a deal Friday in New York.

The two sides will continue to debate the luxury tax before turning to the biggest item of all, the split of basketball-related income. Optimism has been a large part of the last two days, but...

"They're still kind of far apart," said a person who gets daily briefings on the discussions.

Players don't want a high luxury tax because they think it will deter owners from amassing large payrolls. Owners, perhaps in fear of none other than themselves, want a high punitive tax for free-spending teams that are often the big-city ones.

As for the basketball-related income split, the owners have demanded a well-publicized 50-50 split while the players have previously come down as far as 52.5% of the take.

"Big Day today," was how players' union vice president Roger Mason summed it up on his Twitter feed.

A lot still needs to be done. Maybe there will be a resolution, finally.

Shortened season would help young players.

 Can players and owners agree on basketball-related income?

--Mike Bresnahan

Photo: Union head Billy Hunter, left, and NBA Commissioner David Stern at a meeting before the start of labor negotiations. Credit: Ed Kosmicki / EPA.

NBA lockout talks conclude for the night, bring more optimism

There was no need to stay for 15 hours. Optimism continued to flood the room in a comparatively short seven-hour negotiating session between NBA players and owners Thursday in New York.

No less an authority than Billy Hunter, the executive director of the players' union, sounded the most hopeful that the 119-day lockout would end soon.

"I think we're within striking distance of getting a deal," Hunter said at a news conference. "It's just a question of how receptive the NBA is and whether or not they want to do a deal."

The sides continued to peck away at peripheral items such as the luxury tax, the midlevel exception and the length of player contracts. The big talk, the split of basketball-related income, probably will be discussed Friday.

Stern was smiling as he sat down for a news conference, saying there was an element of "continuity, familiarity" between the sides.

"There are no guarantees that we'll get it done, but we're going to give it one heck of a shot" Friday, he said.

The second consecutive day of talks was short for a reason.

"I think everybody's pretty wiped out after last night," Hunter said, referring to talks that ended after 3 a.m. EDT Thursday morning.

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Photo: NBA Commissioner David Stern speaks to reporters in New York on Oct. 10. Credit: David Karp / Associated Press

NBA labor negotiations still going

NBA owners and players logged more than 15 hours in their previous negotiating session and apparently were on their way to another long one Thursday in New York.

Whatever it takes to try to save the season.

The sides are trying to beat the clock after guarded optimism emerged from a robust session Wednesday that stretched until early Thursday.

Reporters were not invited into the latest round of discussions, which began Thursday at 2 p.m. EDT, but it wasn't hard to imagine what was happening, especially after Commissioner David Stern's comments at a news conference Thursday morning.

He said Wednesday's meeting was productive ... and arduous. Then he said he was hopeful that Thursday's meeting would be equally productive ... and that it probably would be arduous.

NBA owners, players begin another round of lockout talks

And they're off...

Again.

Thirty hours over three days didn't lead to a new NBA deal last week. Fifteen hours wasn't enough in a negotiating session that started Wednesday and bled into the wee hours of Thursday morning.

How long will NBA negotiators spend in the same room this time? They started another session Thursday at 2 p.m. EDT in New York.

There was conservative optimism coming out of Wednesday's negotiations, which actually ended after 3 a.m. Thursday.

After an acrimonious breakup last week, the sides reconvened because owners dropped their take-it-or-leave-it demand for a 50-50 split of basketball-related income. The players made 57% of BRI last season.

The sides cobbled together discussions on smaller issues Wednesday, specifically what the luxury tax should look like in the next collective-bargaining agreement. The short explanation: small-market owners want to increase the tax to keep deep-pocketed owners from spending freely; players think that's a bad idea because they want lots of money spent without penalty.

"We can't say there was major progress in any way but there was some progress on some of our system issues, obviously enough for us to come back [later Thursday]," players union president Derek Fisher said at an early morning news conference.

Other peripheral or "system" concepts were also discussed, but neither side broached the big item, the BRI.

"There are still some very big issues left," NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said at about 4 a.m. EDT.

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Photo: Derek Fisher. Credit: Frank Franklin II / Associated Press.

Kevin Love and Blake Griffin on the NBA lockout

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love suggested the NBA lockout could hurt his team more than others.

"It's going to be tough to really get our team on the same page because we have such a young group of guys, a young unit of guys, where we're the youngest team in the NBA with a new coach," Love said at a promotional event at Santa Monica sports bar South.

Love, an All-Star who led the league in rebounds last season, intimated that other teams could perhaps better weather the storm.

"Teams like the Lakers, teams like the Dallas Mavericks and teams like the Boston Celtics, they have veteran players who somewhat need the rest in the off-season, a team that knows each other, has the chemistry, have played with each other.

"They'll kind of jump into the season when the season is started and the lockout is finished, and jump off where they were last year. With a team like us, we need time on the floor together."

Love was not the only player to express concern about the lockout.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who missed the 2009 season after sustaining a broken left kneecap in the final preseason game, seemed peeved that he's once again being kept off of the court.

"It's very frustrating," said Griffin, who was Rookie of the Year last season. "I think it's frustrating for all the players. We all want to be out there. We want to be playing."

— Melissa Rohlin