SCOTT JACOBS

The NBA Owners and David Stern have their vision. The Players Association headed by Billy Hunter and Player Head Derek Fisher, have theirs. Though just roughly 2% in revenue separates themselves from being on the cusp of a deal (there are system issues as well), the NBA and its Players Association are also a disagreement or angry meeting away from a proposed 72 game season to no season. Players have talked about de-certifying (hello NFL!) which would put this lockout in the hands of the courts (which as we all know is a really fun process, especially when we get into March and April and they’re looking at litigation instead of key regular season games and playoff bouts).

Look, we think the whole thing sucks, which is why we’ve spent like 12 seconds discussing it. I don’t know all the logistics to this stupidity, but I do know that we’d rather talk about what happens on the field than off. If there is no basketball this season the NBA will have failed horrifically in its chance to build on an incredibly compelling 2010-11 season. With the market the way it is, and even a number of NFL teams failing to sell out a mere 8 games a season (the list keeps getting longer), the NBA could be underestimating just how badly a lost season could damage people’s willingness to spend money on their product. A 72 game season under a reasonable CBA and all of this lockout crap goes away (we’ve already seen how the NFL has rebounded. There was a lockout right?) Lose the season, and then who knows, maybe it bleeds into another and another, and if the NBA isn’t careful, could result in the demise of its standing in the Big 3. There’s no telling where the NBA will be if they blow this.

I don’t frankly want to know.  But the NBA released a Youtube slideshow video to show you what they’re proposing. And if the players don’t accept they’re the bad guys (that’s what the NBA would lead you to believe). Personally, it seems like the NBA is looking for a league where parity reigns, when they’ve had 2 teams dominate the championship scene unlike any other sport. The NBA is a story of dynasties. They are not the NFL. The best teams usually win. The teams with multiple stars go down in history. This is the NBA’s legacy going back into its foundation.

The Celtics, Lakers, Bulls,and  Spurs have all had their moments.  Throw in the Pistons and you have what ultimately could be summarized as the NBA’s hierarchy over 60+ years of hoops. The league is not ripe for parity. There are too few players on a team for it to even out like the NFL or even MLB does at times. This is not hockey.

Hoops are a team game, but at its heart, they are an individual dominated sport.

Parity is a nice thought, but its a bit of a pipe dream.

Photo: Reuters

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