Catherwood LibraryILR School

The verbal battle between the NBA league and the NBA Players' association continued over the weekend as NBA commissioner David Stern replied to the union's characterization of the most recent league agreement proposal as 'oppressive.' Stern called the union's repartee negotiating histrionics 101, and said that the union's meetings have been 'pure theatrics.' Stern said that the union could denounce the proposal as much as they wanted, it wouldn't change the financial reality of the the league, which Stern predicts will lose $400 million this year. Negotiations between the league and the players' association have been ongoing for some time, as the current contract's lifetime ticks down. The most recent league proposal reduces salaries, establishes salary maximums and minimums, eliminates exceptions to the current salary cap rules, and pushes further revenue sharing among teams. Despite several issues this year, including two incidents where players brought guns to the locker rooms, Stern says 'moral' issues in the contract will not be significantly changed.