Will Any NBA Games be Played this Year?
You have to start asking yourself if there will be any NBA games played this year. NBA commissioner David Stern recently announced that all of the games in November have been cancelled and a full season will not be played. “It’s not practical, possible or prudent to have a full season now,” Stern said. The question now becomes whether or not there will be any games played at all this season.
The Two Sides are Close but does it Matter?
The big issue that is preventing a deal is the total percentage of basketball related income that each side gets. In the previous deal the players got 57% but the owners are demanding that percentage drop at least to a 50-50 split. The players have come down from 57% but they have refused to budge off 52%. It would seem that 2% would not prevent a deal but both sides seem entrenched in their positions. “Derek Fisher and I made it clear that we could not take the 50-50 deal to our membership. Not with all the concessions that we granted,” NBA Union executive director Billy Hunter said. “We said we got to have some dollars.” The owners have gone as far as they are going to go at 50% while the players are unwilling to move any further off the 52%. So, yes, 2% could be the difference in having a season of NBA lines or not having one.
What Now?
There are some owners who believe the 50-50 split is too high so it is extremely unlikely the owners will move at all. If there is to be any type of a season, with NBA lines on the board, then the players will have to move off their 52% number. Both sides have said they would rather lose the season than to move any further. If enough NBA players start talking to Hunter then perhaps something could get done. The star players and the ones you always see on TV have said that they are going to hold firm at 52%. Many of the other players in the league have said they just want to play. It will be interesting to see if the NBA player’s union can hold things together or if the “average” players start to put pressure on Fisher and Hunter to make a deal once they start losing paychecks.
Dallas Wins NBA Championship for the Very First Time:
The Dallas Mavericks players and the entire management team are over the moon as they have won the NBA final playoffs of 2011 for the first time in the franchisee history. The cleaned up Miami Heats by 105-95 and took an unassailable lead by winning 4 of their last five games. The Miami team started the season with high hopes of taking the NBA championships this time around. But their vision was thrashed out be the mighty bench strength of the Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki playing the best game of his lifetime. Nowitzki was overjoyed with the result and could not believe what unfolded in front of his eyes.
Dirk Nowitzki’s joy was doubled after he knew that he was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the finals of 2011. He along with John Terry was the only remaining players in the Dallas side that lost the championship to Miami Heats in 2006. So, it was revenge of sorts for these two great players of the Dallas team. Dirk was very happy for his teammates and said that the collective effort from each of the players as well as the management has resulted in the good showing of the team over the 2011 NBA championship. LeBron James, the best player for the Miami side was heart broken to say the least for his dream of taking the team through to winning the championship has not turned into a reality.
The unbelievable strides that both these made up to the NBA finals was the talking point of the championship. The Heats coach Erik Spoelstra said that he did not think that the end to the championship would be this way. He quickly acknowledged the game that Dallas played and congratulated then on a stupendous performance. The Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has got the unique distinction of wining the NBA championship both as a player and as a coach. Despite having the greats LeBron James, Bosh and Wade in their team, Miami Heats faltered at the final hurdle and that too very badly. LeBron James did not live up to his superstar status in the NBA finals and the entire team lacked the discipline to ruin the chances of the Mavericks. The Dallas Mavericks were the best team on show this NBA season even though Lakers, Thunder and Heat were the best teams on paper. It is quite appropriate to say that Dallas took the title from these great teams with perfect teamwork and dedication.
