ESPN Interview

I had an interview this week with ESPN NBA Writer, Chris Broussard on the NBA lockout. Check it out!

There are a lot of questions surrounding the NBA lockout. Is
>>>>>this a battle between Commissioner David Stern and Union Chief
>>>>>Billy Hunter? The preseason and first two weeks of the regular
>>>>>season cancelled, is the whole season next?
>>>>> I know a lot about the NBA and have been following the lockout
>>>>>closely. However, there are a lot of questions I had, and
>>>>>random people have been asking as well. I turned to ESPN Senior
>>>>>NBA Writer Chris Broussard, who took some time to answer these
>>>>>questions.
>>>>>
>>>>> THE LOCKOUT SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A BATTLE BETWEEN STERN AND
>>>>>HUNTER. IS THIS TRUE? THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES REALLY TALKING.
>>>>>
>>>>> "No! no! This is about the owners and players. This is
>>>>>about the money. Stern and Hunter are out returning to places
>>>>>of their particular parties;. No, this is not a personal thing
>>>>>between the two of them. This is strictly about the money and
>>>>>each side trying to get what they consider to be a fair deal
>>>>>for their client."
>>>>>
>>>>> WHAT ARE THE HOLD UPS AS OF NOW FROM A DEAL BEING REACHED?
>>>>>
>>>>> "There are several issues. There is basketball related
>>>>>income, how are they going to split that bit of revenue, which
>>>>>is about $4.3 billion. Players had been getting 57 percent and
>>>>>the owners now want the players just to get 47 percent, that;s
>>>>>a 10 percent decrease. Each percentage point is roughly $40
>>>>>million, that is about a $400 million hit they (the owners)
>>>>>want the players to take."
>>>>>
>>>>> "Beyond that, there is a system, the economic part is the
>>>>>basketball related income. But the system part is whether or
>>>>>not you have a hard salary cap, or a soft salary cap. Whether
>>>>>or not you have restrictions to the cap, which obviously goes
>>>>>with the soft salary cap. What kind of luxury tax you have. For
>>>>>instance, under the old agreement, you could go over the salary
>>>>>cap because it was a soft cap, but if you went above a certain
>>>>>number than you have to pay a dollar for dollar tax. Now, the
>>>>>owners want to make that tax more severe to be at least $2.00,
>>>>>and in some cases $3.00, $4.00 and even higher, $3.00 to $1.00
>>>>>if you;re over the tax. that is to discourage the big markets
>>>>>like the New York Knicks and the L.A. Lakers from spending well
>>>>>over the tax, so the smaller market teams feel like they have a
>>>>>chance to compete. The small market teams may be able to go
>>>>>over the cap, but they can;t go over it to the degree the large
>>>>>market teams can go over it...The owners are saying they need a
>>>>>certain system where smaller market teams can compete with the
>>>>>large market teams."
>>>>>
>>>>> WILL STERN CANCEL THE SEASON (THERE WERE REPORTS) IF
>>>>>MEDIATION FAILS WITH MEDIATOR GEORGE COHEN ON TUESDAY?
>>>>>
>>>>> "No! There is no way. He is saying the season might be in
>>>>>jeopardy, which is true, it;s in jeopardy now. He is not going
>>>>>to come out and cancel the entire season based on what happens
>>>>>Tuesday. I don;t even think he will cancel another few weeks
>>>>>tomorrow, he may eventually, but I don;t think he will tomorrow
>>>>>if they don;t come to an agreement."
>>>>>
>>>>> WILL SOME PLAYERS CONTINUE TO GO OVERSEAS TO PLAY? WHAT ABOUT
>>>>>A PLAYER SUPER LEAGUE?
>>>>>
>>>>> "A few more players may go overseas, but it is not a huge
>>>>>threat just because there are not a ton of teams with money to
>>>>>offer these players. China has money, but put in a rule that
>>>>>you have to stay the entire season. That took them off the
>>>>>radar for a lot of players. Especially, the super stars."
>>>>>
>>>>>"As far as the super league, that is a very difficult
>>>>>proposition and they certainly couldn;t start anything that is
>>>>>even remotely equal to the NBA. It is a really tough thing to
>>>>>do, and I think it;s a long shot to say the least."

Curry gone?

KOMO 4 in Seattle is reporting Seahawks' Aaron Curry could be on his way out.

http://www.komonews.com/sports/131623303.html