Well, as I'm sure some of you may have heard, the NBA Lockout caused its first casualties the other day, as commissioner David Stern canceled the first two weeks of the regular season as a result of continuing contract disputes. Try as they might to reach a new deal, the owners and players seem to be very far away from reaching a deal. While this prospect is costly for the owners and players both, the impact on the fans, both economic and entertainment wise, have not been considered at all. Those players not heavily involved with the disputes have spent their time doing a variety of things, however a significant portion, even up to half of current NBA players have received interest to play overseas. Teams in Europe are scooping up NBA players at bargain prices to play one or two year deals, (or even one game deals, such as the Italian club trying to secure Kobe Bryant) even though many of the deals contain opt out clauses if the lockout does end. The NBA is effectively shooting itself in the foot by forcing its players to play elsewhere, canceling games and generally annoying its fan base.
One of the more curious and entertaining lockout ideas came from the NBA's biggest star, LeBron James. James took to his Twitter account, asking ESPN Analyst John Clayton when the deadline for a team to sign free agents was up. While LeBron has flirted with the notion of playing in the NFL for a while now, the idea still gets me a little excited. I can see it now, LeBron tearing up secondaries, dunking on uprights after touchdowns, and getting gloves with internal powder pouches to allow him to do his customary celebration anytime. Alas, I know it won't happen, because no NBA player would give up his spot in the league with the highest professional salaries to go to the No Fun League.
For now, we won't have the first two weeks of the season. If the two sides cannot reach a deal soon, more games will be lost, which will result in a severely damaged final product. For the sake of the fans, players and NFL cornerbacks, lets get this lockout settled, eh David Stern?
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