Zach Randolph Also Ready to Miss Whole Season for Fair Labor Deal


Ray Allen isn’t alone in his stance that missing a season is worth it if that results in a fair deal for the players. Grizzlies’ forward Zach Randolph feels the same way. Reports the Commerical Appeal: “With the ink barely dry on a four-year contract extension he signed in April, Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph knows exactly what he stands to lose if the NBA season is lost due to a labor dispute. But Randolph insists that collecting on the first year of a deal that pays $66 million guaranteed with $5 million in incentives isn’t his main concern regarding the league-imposed lockout. Randolph says he’s willing to miss the 2011-12 NBA regular season and a big payday rather than accept a bad deal. ‘If that’s a sacrifice we have to make (in order) to make it better for the future then, yeah, I’m OK with it,’ Randolph said in a telephone interview. ‘I’m definitely prepared financially.’ … Randolph will not attend the union’s regional meeting today in Miami. But he’s sticking by players association executive director Billy Hunter. ‘I sent a text to Billy Hunter two weeks ago and told him he has my full support,’ Randolph said. ‘I’m definitely supporting the union. And we all should. This is something I’ve never been through so it’s frustrating, but all of the players should stick together.'”