Looming NBA Lockout Represents Lack of Honesty and Effort by Both Parties

The war of words between the NBA players and owners has gotten ridiculous. It boasts all the maturity and honesty of a fight between my little brother and me...when I was five years old.

The latest chapter of negotiations isn't any different than the previous.

David Stern and the league contend the current system doesn't work, that half the teams are losing millions of dollars. Because of those losses, owners want to install a hard cap that both reduces and limits the money players can make.

Players association chief Billy Hunter says that's not true, according to ESPN's Henry Abbott.

"Our belief," Hunter said, "is that a small number of teams are suffering, and their problems can be addressed through revenue sharing."

Wait, wasn't this the same argument six months ago?

You're telling fans that in over half a year, zero progress has been made, that literally nothing has been done to avoid a season-erasing lockout?

More importantly, how can both sides still sound credible at this point? Isn't there a reporter with a friend in the accounting industry who could just look at the balance sheets? It'd be like Mom breaking up the inane argument with irrefutable fact.

"Ok, I've got it! The liar is ___!"

The point is one side is lying. It doesn't matter whether it's outright or just hedged and trimmed truth. Both parties are intent on keeping their own woe-is-me, we've-already-sacrificed-enough image.

It's a good bet the fans, the people supplying the cash in question, don't give a damn.

And given that lockout fears ran rampant a year ago, why are the two sides content meeting once a month—at most?

According to an Associated Press report last November, Hunter said the following:

"At the end of the day, we agreed to get together and meet much more often and try to get an agreement before the end of the season," Hunter said. "They indicated they're prepared to talk about everything, and we're prepared to talk about everything."

The sides have met and spoken two or three times since then, with no progress being made.

The timing couldn't be worse. The league hasn't enjoyed this many star-studded teams (for better or worse) or this much young talent since the 1980s. Casual fans and non-fans have been carried away by this new Golden Age.

It's what makes fans love this league.

Only now it will come screeching to a halt, all because players and owners can't be honest or diligent in settling their differences.

It's what makes fans hate this league.