Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 9:00 am  |  26 responses

David Stern on Labor Talks: ‘There’s a Gulf, Not a Gap’

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Contrary to initial speculation, the League’s star players did show up for the latest CBA meeting with team owners. Afterwards, just about everyone expressed cautious optimism.

The League and the union even released a joint statement, in an effort to demonstrate solidarity and some measure of goodwill:

“The NBA and NBPA held a four-hour bargaining meeting today that included constructive dialogue and a productive exchange of information. While we still have much work to do, it was encouraging how many players and owners participated in the process and all pledged to continue to work together. We all agreed to meet again before training camp.”

According to CBS, David Stern wasn’t as quick as everyone else to express joy during the negotiations:

According to people in the bargaining session, there was far less rancor and rhetoric than in the session at All-Star weekend, when the players rejected the owners’ initial proposal. The word “lockout” was thrown around less frequently, too.

But both sides acknowledge that there’s much ground to be covered. According to one person present, commissioner David Stern proclaimed at one point during the meeting, “There’s a gulf, not a gap.”

Despite the Commisioner’s ominous words, for the first time since these talks have begun, there seems to be a small sense that both sides could work things out, and perhaps avoid a lockout next season.

We’ll have to wait and see how future meetings go before anything definitive can be felt or expressed.

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  • The Philosopher Posted: Aug.13 at 9:06 am
    Something will get done.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Aug.13 at 9:39 am
    Getir done. Yes you can … Just do it!

  • Eboy Posted: Aug.13 at 10:15 am
    There is a real possibility that both the NFL and NBA will be locked out in the same season. That is perhaps the worst news for sports fan in North America, ever.

  • Ronald Posted: Aug.13 at 10:26 am
    I hope that doesn’t happen Eboy. I might just puke if it happens.

  • The D Train Posted: Aug.13 at 10:27 am
    Exactly Eboy. That is why I’m throwing myself into soccer. Well, that and the fact that both my young girls play it, so I’m kind of thrown into it already. Figure I might as well have a fallback plan for 2011.

  • Eboy Posted: Aug.13 at 10:32 am
    Good idea.

  • Masr Posted: Aug.13 at 10:33 am
    if this happens with both the nba and the nfl, the fu(ck am i supposed to watch now… hockey?

  • dez Posted: Aug.13 at 11:03 am
    slamball. obviously.

  • c_cantrell Posted: Aug.13 at 11:46 am
    hmmm hmmm hmm.. wow crazy huh? would be so nice if the nba had no cap to go by and could do things like the mlb

  • total scrotal implosion Posted: Aug.13 at 1:36 pm
    A lockout cannot happen

  • J.deneer Posted: Aug.13 at 2:29 pm
    When the NHL was locked out for a season, I initially thought it wouldn’t be so bad, I’d just pick up on something else. Its bad. To go a winter in Canada without a little ball on the TV would break Ivan Drago.

  • shaolin23 Posted: Aug.13 at 2:30 pm
    if there is a lock out, i hope espn replaces the games with vintage jordan/lakers/celtics games. better basketball to watch anyways.

  • The Seed Posted: Aug.13 at 2:39 pm
    Money hungry players.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Aug.13 at 4:33 pm
    @The seed, u stay BROKE okay.

  • Jose Posted: Aug.13 at 5:25 pm
    Wow! Two possible lockouts, This is the opportunity Futbol Has Been waiting for!lol

  • JL Posted: Aug.13 at 5:38 pm
    sucks…. if there’s a lockout can we just hire D leaguers and make them play phoenix suns offense only? score like 100+ points per side per game should still be fun to watch. the current way the cap is structured is very fair already. I am not sure why owners want it to be lower for star players. this would mean more small market teams would get a chance I guess. however, since the cap is soft basically it would just be easier for teams to have multiple star players? I’m not sure how this would work out or what the real details are. anyone?

  • Brion Posted: Aug.13 at 6:45 pm
    If the lockout happens i hope that doesnt mean we will forced to watch dudes named “Hotsauce” and “the professa” carry the ball while dancing around to get our ball fix.

  • Ronald Posted: Aug.13 at 8:22 pm
    @Jose: Honestly, futbol doesn’t care what happens with NFL/NBA. It has the world on lockdown. @JL: Owners want to go the NFL route to make contracts shorter and guaranteed, which is honestly, understandable the way the last few years of free agency has worked (where expiring contracts have been used as bargaining chips) but players want more money and stability (also understandable). I hope they come to a middle ground where players can put out consistent effort and get paid fairly for it

  • Rubens Posted: Aug.14 at 1:46 am
    @The Seed “money hungry players”? How about stupid owners whom doesn’t know how to spend money correctly. Like you’d try to get paid less money…

  • CHIEF Posted: Aug.14 at 9:02 am
    I think this is a shadow game between the two parties. We’haven’t heard from them yet what the real truth is. And to make it even you’d just have to get rid of all those front running douche bags that have run franchises into the ground. Minnesota needs a complete change of the guard. How do they have two 20 10 guys in KG then Big Al and just fail to do anything?
    And those two brothers in sacramento are suspect too. Evans and Cousins aren’t anything to brag about yet. They tried to hold down a team with Kevin Martin. That is all.
    Cap space can’t help stupidity. If the NBA wants to be even compared to the NFL they have to use the college sysetem just as well it’s not all about money. It’s about the entire organization. BTW Mark Cuban sucks.

  • c_cantrell Posted: Aug.14 at 9:49 am
    ^CHIEF..
    actually mark cuban does not suck.. as a matter of fact if every owner in the nba was as enthusiastic as cuban and put in the hard work cuban puts into the organization then there would be no threat of a lockout at all.. cuban puts so much money (his own money btw not the mavs money) into his job and constantly tries to think of ways to improve his team and hes pretty entertaining also lol.. but anyway no he does not suck he is one of the best at what he does

  • Dacre Posted: Aug.14 at 10:42 am
    We’ve got some other games for the American fans (and the international fans alike) here in Australia for you if the NBA/NFL locks out: AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union, IronMan surf-lifesaving series, Dunny-Kart racing… beautiful options.

  • rav Posted: Aug.14 at 11:04 am
    i dont think the current system is all that bad, just reduce the amount of cash guaranteed in contracts and (this is the biggie) the owners and gm’s have to stop giving stupid contracts to players who arent worth that money ($10m a year to $7m a year players, $7m a year for $5m a year players etc) and stop massively overpaying for other teams FA’s (chicago/ben wallace and amare/nyc spring to mind here) it’ll all be grand

  • Ronald Posted: Aug.15 at 2:09 am
    @Dacre: I do think that NRL and AFL are perfect for American audiences.

  • CHIEF Posted: Aug.15 at 12:28 pm
    C Cantrell
    Any white man in texas that lets people drop N bombs on a black athlete and acosts a elite players mom in his stadium destroyed any good work he’s ever done. If he didn’t suck he might have built a stronger team around Nowitzki so that Wade couldn’t free thrown his way to a ring. BOOM BOOM, Predator Drone has a lock on you.
    Yeah your right he’s the best at what he does…looking like a moronic Screech wannabe.
    My whole arguement and all you could reply to was Mark Cuban sucks?
    Grow some balls and tell Cuban to learn how to draft and prospect.

  • SLAM ONLINE | » No Exceptions Posted: Sep.15 at 12:50 pm
    [...] to Gooden, a lockout may be exactly what’s on deck. During labor talks last month, commissioner David Stern described the distance between the two sides as a “gulf, not a gap,” making the possibility of reaching a [...]

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