The 2011 NBA playoffs were considered an instant classic. A series of compelling headlines and tight games culminated in a championship for much-maligned German maestro Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. However, recently a lockout, as the result of a disagreement between the owners and players has almost guaranteed that next season will be postponed.
The lockout began as the collective-bargaining agreement between the owners and players expired, compelling the owners to disallow players and teams in participating in organized league activities. Compared to the relatively mild recent NFL lockout, which resulted from a players’ strike and lasted the entire summer, the NBA counterpart is much more vicious.
The main issue regarding the NBA is a net revenue loss, despite the league’s star power. Both players and owners are unyielding in their demands, and both sides must work to find a solution to minimize revenue lost. Players must concede that their exorbitant salaries need to be cut for the game to survive.
The fact is that the players in the NBA are being paid too much for the league to handle. In fact, NBA players on average earn $4.9 million; this amount is by far the highest of any North American sports league, $2 million more than Major League Baseball players. The highest paid NBA player Kobe Bryant reeled in a shocking $24.8 million during the 2010-2011 season.
While the NBA players have been high rolling, the league continues to lose money. The majority of the teams in the NBA have lost money last year, combining to the grand total of $300 million. With all of these losses, it is imperative that new collective bargaining agreement be reached.
To resolve these problems, the league has offered a reduction of the salary cap and has bought various other reductions to keep the season running. However, despite the meetings in June, July, and August regarding these problems, issues are still far from being resolved. With the threats of a shortened season, players now need to step up and take some cuts in order for the season to continue.
Recently, there have been minor lockouts concerning the soccer leagues in Europe such as La Liga of Spain, and Serie A of Italy. Both leagues have had strikes that have delayed the progress of the first couple of game; however, these issues were quickly resolved. La Liga ended its lockout with a deal that took less than a week. If these lockouts, both as serious as that of the NBA, took such little time, there is little to nothing stopping the NBA from quickly ending their lockout to avoid losses in the season.
Though this NBA lockout seems like one that is going no where, NBA constituents can see the players’ strikes in Europe and the NFL as examples of conflicts with expedient solutions. It is ultimately up to the players and their willingness to cut their paycheck to play the game that they love.