You're watching...
ESPN NY radio host Robin Lundberg and NY Knicks’ Jared Jeffries on the NBA lockout and the negotiations’ potential impact on players’ salaries.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- on the negotiations.
Between the NBA owners and players over a new labor agreement NBA commissioner David Stern has just canceled the remainder of the -- pre season games.
And He is now threatening to cancel the -- two weeks of regular season play if an agreement is not reached by.
This coming Monday.
That decision just announced after a quote big meeting between players and owners ended with obviously no resolution.
Joining us now to discuss the failed negotiations to this point the possibility of a canceled NBA season the possibility of a successful negotiation.
-- efforts forward for the New York -- great to have you with us and Robert -- -- cohost of the ESPN.
Radio show in New York -- -- am Wattenberg.
Thank you -- be a bank you let let's start -- with here I mean this this news that the pre season is canceled.
That is.
Terrible sign how do you read it how should we be working -- Very concerned I think right now it is time for the owners and -- player to get together.
Good understanding that this is very serious I think people don't have a firm deadline in their mind.
But this is a sign that David Stern.
Had them on his mind who -- on the.
You know Robert one thing I think people who sign that is why is this how you know what is the primary.
Issue here that is keeping.
Folks from watching their favorite players an -- -- -- it's pretty simple you know Kobe Bryant said it today it comes down to it always comes down to.
Money and I think if they can figure out how to split the pie we'll get a deal sooner rather than later if they can't later.
Are in the money itself.
Jared how have how big is it I mean what is that -- what is the swinging.
And others generally in the in the NBA hardly such a thing as an average the -- a scale.
Here is really need clocks the kind of check in with.
The company if it.
Give us a sense of.
It's a big number.
This concert was about 2.5 billion dollars.
And the players are called it a sort of percent of it right they want the swing to be more near the 5050 sort 7% downgrade and what players are.
Which translates to all players.
And they also wanna roll back current contracts.
They want to cut restructure the mid level exception which established player -- player gets paid.
So.
Is that right now.
That -- is that a bigger hurt but it sounds to most of us like.
Point 57%.
We can you know we should be we should be working something out.
Yes.
It be different if -- talks often about guys that would may possibly.
Three or four million dollars a source of a lot of money now that -- and make two million dollars and also.
But when -- factor -- everything was being -- hope to do that could be attribute due to be a very dramatic downgrade well clear of what.
I think every percentage point they're saying it's not like forty million dollars.
Wow so this in in the NBA itself appears and all other respects to be healthy.
Profitable.
Is that an illusion no I mean they had their highest rated season ever last year they did the owners will say that they are losing money annually on their forecasts though you can make the counterargument that if you think of them like art pieces Malcolm Gladwell wrote about this.
That they are appreciating in value because you buy them for a certain price and you sell them for a higher price.
Even know you may be losing.
On the short term parliament here and we need a metaphor.
Thank you very much welcome to understand the price is no -- -- -- it's all fun to sell it for more than you bought it.
Stern is a tough guy you're the first person say to mean you.
You have been -- put it this way you when you and I were talking.
Often hear you were talking about your respect for star as both a negotiator and a businessman.
Give us your read more we are right now and and how -- -- likely to be.
I think he's in a position now he's going to lock in and put.
His foot and if this -- -- not going to be -- -- -- player would have to be ready to fight back against that estate unify the way we have throughout this process.
And and how is -- if the negotiation.
The negotiators are they communicating with the players as have been broad are you satisfied -- the level of communication and there.
Quick response -- very much so on players who saw the meeting -- -- the grades are reaching out to other players.
And the union itself was a great job sending out emails to keeping us up today with letters but -- -- to do -- in meetings.
Where is where is the will of the players right now -- injured give us a sense.
How strong you guys feel like we're very unify I think -- guys.
They can fit on a great job over these -- -- -- -- -- NBA to a certain point we off a very good about where the NBA is.
And we don't wanna see it fall back a slide we also want to keep expanding -- -- -- -- drew thank you very much provision Ron thank you thank you.
