Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
According to NBA.com commissioner David Stern said, "Thursday that if significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by early next week following the first scheduled session with mediator, the remainder of the 2011-12 NBA season may be in jeopardy."
"Each side is going to meet with the mediator on Monday, and if there's a breakthrough, it's going to come on Tuesday," Stern said in an interview for NBA TV. "And if not, I think that the season is really going to potentially escape from us, because we aren't making any progress ... how many times does it pay to keep meeting, and to have the same things thrown back at you? We're ready to sit down and make a deal. I don't believe that the union is. Hopefully by Tuesday, aided by the mediator, they'll be ready to make a deal. Certainly I'll bring my owners ready to make a deal."
Stern said he expected a breakthrough last weekend, when the two sides met for about 12 1/2 hours over two days, but that talks broke down on the luxury tax issue, with the league looking for a more punitive tax than the union was willing to accept.
"I was really optimistic we'd have a deal," Stern said. "I was stunned when, at the end of our long day Monday night, the offer from the union on the tax on, let's say, $10 million contract over the cap (actually, the luxury tax threshold) went down from $12.5 million down to $11 million...on $10 million. In the old expired deal it was $10 million; it was dollar for dollar."
Seems as if the commissioner is not afraid to stand his ground, however, I think they are forgetting about the most important people.. The fans.
Click HERE to watch the entire NBA Tv interview
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