NEW YORK (AP) — NBA players and owners spent a
marathon 16 hours meeting with a federal mediator and planned to return early
Wednesday to continue the talks.
They didn't emerge with the deal Commissioner David
Stern wanted Tuesday, but things went well enough that owners decided to alter
their plans after previously saying they weren't available Wednesday.
The sides met beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday and went
late into the night, finally breaking after 2 a.m. Wednesday. It was more than
twice as long as any previous negotiating session since owners locked out
players when the old collective bargaining agreement expired June 30.
Both sides left the meeting without commenting at
the request of federal mediator George Cohen.
Owners originally ruled out labor talks for
Wednesday and Thursday because they have two days of board meetings planned,
but the labor relations committee that was set for a morning presentation will
instead return to resume discussions with the players.
Owners still will meet later in the day to discuss
plans for expanded revenue sharing among teams. Players have wanted that as
part of the CBA process, believing it's a way for the league to address its
losses. But Stern said it can't come until after the labor deal, so they first
know what savings are coming from there.
Although the fact that talks didn't break off is
good news, one person with knowledge of the process said not to presume there
was any serious progress. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity
because of Cohen's request.
Joining Stern, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver and
other top league officials Tuesday were 13 team executives making up the labor
relations committee, including Dallas owner Mark Cuban, Lakers owner Jerry
Buss, Knicks owner Jim Dolan, Spurs owner and committee chair Peter Holt and
Heat owner Micky Arison. The players had their entire executive committee, led
by president Derek Fisher of the Lakers, except for Bucks guard Keyon Dooling.
The sides have been divided mostly by two issues,
the division of revenues and the structure of the salary cap system.
Players oppose a hard salary cap, and they believe owners'
attempts to make the luxury tax more punitive and limit the use of spending
exceptions will effectively create one. Also, each side has formally proposed
receiving 53 percent of basketball-related income after players were guaranteed
57 percent under the previous collective bargaining agreement.
Stern said last week that he wanted a breakthrough
Tuesday, even saying his "gut" told him there might not be games on
Christmas Day if there wasn't an agreement before his owners' meetings.
Tuesday marked the 110th day of the lockout. Stern
wiped out the first two weeks of the season — exactly 100 games — last week.
The cancellations marked the NBA's first work stoppage since the 1998-99 season
was reduced to 50 games.
More could be coming without a new collective
bargaining agreement soon. The sides have been going nowhere despite frequent
meetings in recent weeks, so Stern said they welcomed help from Cohen, who was
present for talks between NFL owners and players for 16 days in February and
March before that mediation broke off.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
