The NBA's lockout will persist after the players rejected the league's latest financial proposal. The scheduled start of the new season has already been delayed by a month by the backbiting involved in negotiating a new communal bargain agreement between the league and the players' association.
The players are seeking a smallest amount 52.5% share of teams' basketball-related income, but have indicated in recent days that they would accept 51% with an additional 1% going to a fund for retired player benefits.
The league's current offer gives players between 49% and 51%, but the players argue that 50.2% would be the best realistic outcome under the terms of that deal. And players' relationship president Derek Fisher told.The current offer on the table from the NBA is one that we cannot accept.
We're open to discussions, open to negotiation. We're open-minded about potential compromises on our number, but there are things in the system that are not up for conversation that we have to have in order to be able to get this season going.
Executive director Billy Hunter added:The players are clearly of the mind that it's an unacceptable proposal. But because of their commitment to the game and their desire to play, they're saying to us that we want you to go back, see if you can get a better deal.
The league's official website confirmed, though, that the players have been given a deadline of tomorrow to accept the deal or a new offer featuring a 53-47 revenue split in the owners' favor and salary rollbacks will be issued.
NBA commissioner David Stern said:Our proposal on the table now goes away. Our next suggestion will then go to the players, and we will see where negotiations go.But Hunter insisted his players would not be forced into a climb down by what amounts to a challenge, adding:The players are saying that we appreciate their position, but unluckily we're not frightened by all that.