The National Basketball Association is in trouble. On July 1st while the NFL was beginning to put the finishing touches on their labor agreement and reaching a deal, the NBA owners declared a lockout of the players. While the NFL solved their deal and are ready to start the 2011 season, the NBA season which is still a few months away appears to be in much more trouble. While the NFL players and owners were busy in meetings figuring out how to equally divide the billions of dollars they make between the owners and players, the NBA is hoping to reach an agreement which allows the league to stop losing money.
The NBA’s issues are surely complex and both the owners and players want to win and gain certain things in signing a new collective bargaining agreement. One thing both sides should keep in mind is the damage that would be done if games are lost. Baseball in the early 1990’s as well as the shortened NBA season in 1999 proved that fans will turn away and become angered and disinterested in the sport following work stoppages. With prime markets like Boston, Miami, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles thriving, the NBA has its stars in major markets and an abundance of young talent unlike the league has seen since the mid 80’s. If there was ever a time for the league to maintain its position as one of the major spectator sports, now is that time for the NBA. Fans are drawn to basketball because it’s arguably the best live sport to see in person. Nearly all fans are close to the court and there aren’t many bad seats in most 15,000 seat arenas.
As a lifelong NBA fan who grew up attending games and rooting for my hometown team, I remember the strike shortened season of 1998-99 and how at a younger age I questioned why they weren’t playing games. That strike had less of an implication on me because my favorite team, the Sacramento Kings, went on to prosper for much of the following decade. For many fans of the game it seems inexplicable that players and owners making millions of dollars are arguing over money and causing the a loss of games that so many enjoy and love to watch.
With so much young talent in the league and coming off a great season in 2010-2011, the NBA can ill afford to lose any games let alone an entire season like it has been hinted by Billy Hunter. If an entire season is lost, many fans will turn to other sports where athletes are not seen as greedy and are working hard to provide entertainment and enjoyment that the fans enjoy. With the NBA ripe with young stars, the last thing the league needs in a world of social media is its fans who love the game reading about two sides arguing over money instead of playing the game on the court for the enjoyment of the fans who make it all possible.