..according to Dave Stern, he wants the players to cut their salary by 1/3 of what they currently make. Yet, no where do you see that he holds the owners accountable since they are the one's who sign the contract. The representatives of these players do NOT put a gun to their heads forcing them to sign the dotted line.
Updated: October 21, 2010, 7:53 PM ET
NBA wants marked drop in player costs
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- NBA commissioner David Stern said Thursday there was no quantifiable progress in collective bargaining talks over the summer, and the league revealed it is seeking a reduction in player salary costs by about one-third.
Stern said the league wants player costs to drop $750 million to $800 million. Deputy commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA spends about $2.1 billion annually in player salaries and benefits.
"We would like to get profitable, have a return on investment," Stern said. "There's a swing of somewhere in the neighborhood of $750 to $800 million that we would like to change. That's our story and we're sticking with it."
Stern and Silver spoke after completing two days of meetings with league owners, who are seeking major changes to the current CBA that expires June 30. Silver said the league has told the union that owners are in a "diseconomic situation," with projected league-wide losses of about $340 million to $350 million this season.
Though season ticket sales are up, both insisted that no matter how well the league does at the box office, it won't change the fact that an overhaul is necessary to a system in which the players receive 57 percent of basketball-related income.
"Even though we reported we have record season ticket sales over the summer and otherwise very robust revenue generation, because of the built-in cost of the system, it's virtually impossible for us to move the needle in terms of our losses," Silver said.
"There's no chance we can change the fundamental economics regardless of our success because it just costs us too much money to generate those sales."
David Stern: NBA wants player salaries cut by a third - ESPN
Updated: October 21, 2010, 7:53 PM ET
NBA wants marked drop in player costs
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- NBA commissioner David Stern said Thursday there was no quantifiable progress in collective bargaining talks over the summer, and the league revealed it is seeking a reduction in player salary costs by about one-third.
Stern said the league wants player costs to drop $750 million to $800 million. Deputy commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA spends about $2.1 billion annually in player salaries and benefits.
"We would like to get profitable, have a return on investment," Stern said. "There's a swing of somewhere in the neighborhood of $750 to $800 million that we would like to change. That's our story and we're sticking with it."
Stern and Silver spoke after completing two days of meetings with league owners, who are seeking major changes to the current CBA that expires June 30. Silver said the league has told the union that owners are in a "diseconomic situation," with projected league-wide losses of about $340 million to $350 million this season.
Though season ticket sales are up, both insisted that no matter how well the league does at the box office, it won't change the fact that an overhaul is necessary to a system in which the players receive 57 percent of basketball-related income.
"Even though we reported we have record season ticket sales over the summer and otherwise very robust revenue generation, because of the built-in cost of the system, it's virtually impossible for us to move the needle in terms of our losses," Silver said.
"There's no chance we can change the fundamental economics regardless of our success because it just costs us too much money to generate those sales."
David Stern: NBA wants player salaries cut by a third - ESPN
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