UPDATE: This is why we shouldn't post during lunch. Bad Michael. BAD! Here's Ken Berg's goodies for CBS.
National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter and president Derek Fisher warned that it appears the season will not start on time. Hunter said he has advised players that they "may have to sit out half the season before we get a deal."
Grumble, grumble, grumble.
PREVIOUS: When it comes to business negotiations of this magnitude, progress for progress's sake is never discouraged (bonus LB point for whoever gets the reference). So when the Times' Howard Beck reports that there are actual back-and-forth's in the NBA/Union meetings rather than just lobbing poop over a wall and hope it lands on someone's face, it's something.
From The Times via Tom Ziller:
That is a vast improvement from August and puts these talks light-years ahead of where they were during the 1998 lockout. While the circumstances may differ, the comparison is worth noting.
The two sides are meeting again today before they break off into group pow-wow's in Vegas (Players, obvs) and Dallas (owners, Cuban) respectively. With Derek Fisher and Adam Silver rest our collective hopes and dreams that there can be a season sometime on or around the November 1st intended start date. Consider my breath held.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
Jordan is in Vegas for the Impact Basketball Competitive Training Series this week, a significantly more exciting event than the Non-Competitive Training Series, which I can only assume features seals floating around a tank of basketballs. Jordan has already talked to a few present and possibly future Sixers that are attending, so pop by soon for that article. I can only say that Speezy is just as Speezy as you think.
Happy Tuesday, kids.