By Mark Heisler Apocalypse now, or not. The worst was about to come to pass, the majority of the media had predicted, wisely or in search of ever-more dire scenarios and ever-bigger headlines, as talks broke off last week with the NBA seemingly prepared to cancel its openers. Actually, the preferred press scenario was doomsday, the cancellation of more than the openers … like the entire 2011-12 season. Seeing any small part of it come true would have made everyone nuts, prompting speculation about
BULLETIN: Owners, players to meet tonight
By Chris Sheridan NE W YORK — NBA owners and players have agreed to resume collective bargaining discussions at 6 p.m. EDT tonight at an undisclosed location. The news was first reported by Howard Beck of the New York Times, and SheridanHoops has learned that the owners have dropped their precondition that the players agree to a 50-50 split of revenues before resuming discussions. Union director Billy Hunter had been scheduled to fly to Los Angeles tonight to brief a group of players
NBA lockout update: Around the Web
By Chris Sheridan Let’s have a look around the Web for the latest lockout news on the 101st day of the NBA’s work stoppage: _ Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press in New York: “(Billy) Hunter reiterated that 53 percent was the players’ number. And if they were planning to reconsider the 50-50 offer, that didn’t seem to be the case in the letter that he and union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers sent Wednesday to players and obtained by The Associated Press
NBA Lockout Update: It’s not Monday yet
By Chris Sheridan NEW YORK — Billy Hunter is scheduled to get on an airplane Sunday and fly to Los Angeles to give a briefing to several players on the state of the NBA lockout. David Stern and Adam Silver are observing the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur on Saturday, when sunset comes at 6:27 p.m. EDT local time and both men can break their fast, have a bite to eat and pick up the telephone — if they so choose. Right now, the owners
Quotes of the (Dooms)Day
“But sometimes illumination comes to our rescue at the very moment when all seems lost; we have knocked at every door and they open on nothing until, at last, we stumble unconsciously against the only one through which we can enter the kingdom we have sought in vain a hundred years – and it opens.” ― Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past I will add one more before taking my son bowling, this lifted from Answers.com, regarding today’s Jewish holiday of
Audio: John Thompson says brief camps would only hurt NBA rookies
By Chris Sheridan So let’s say they settle the lockout Monday night/Tuesday morning. If it is the latter, that is October 11. The sides have been saying it will take two weeks to put the agreement into writing, but let’s put a little pressure on Mr. Rube and Mr. Klempner (the attorneys from each side entrusted wth the heavy lifting) and postulate that they can get it done (and have it ratified in a player vote) in 10 days. That takes us through
Gibson Column: On Kobe, Kirilenko and Parker in Europe
By Nick Gibson of EuroleagueAdventures.com Tony Parker hired himself for minimum wage, Andrei Kirilenko pointed a gun at Viktor Khryapa and Kobe Bryant got a step closer to Virtus Bologna, even though it may be only temporarily. Three players—three All-Stars—that have played their entire (American) pro careers in one uniform are ready to wear new colors in exchange for money while the lockout sorts itself out. It’s been a busy week. But busy means great for European basketball, right? Not absolutely. While the continent would never pass up
More on NBA Lockout: Talking amnesty on Orlando radio
By Chris Sheridan I went on the radio with longtime colleague Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel this morning to talk about the NBA lockout. We touched on how his local team , the Magic, would benefit the most (along with Portland) from the amnesty provision that will reportedly be part of the eventual NBA collective bargaining agreement. Click here to listen to the interview, which aired on the Open Mike show on 740-The Game radio in Orlando. (Gremlin alert: Will not play on