NBA Lockout: What's Really at Stake for the Fans, Players, and Owners.

Last summer NBA fans witnessed what would go down as the biggest summer in NBA history with big names such as LeBron James switching teams and new contracts inked for players like Rudy Gay and Dirk Nowitzki to stay put.

The entire globe was buzzing about the NBA and the hype going into the 2010-2011 season was unprecedented. The Miami Heat had formed the most hated team in NBA history by combining three of the NBA’s biggest talents with Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James all deciding to play in South Beach.

The offseason was dominated by anything related to the Miami Heat, but the NBA season would prove that there was much more than the Heat going on. This season was full of surprises, whether be it players take their games’ to the next level or entire teams shocking the NBA with their improvement. We saw Kevin Love Average 20 and 15 while having a 31-31 game.

We rode the rollercoaster that was the Miami Heat’s season from struggling in the beginning of the season to winning 21 out of 22 in January and to coming two games short of an NBA title. The postponed debut of Blake Griffin proved well worth the wait as Blake had one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in NBA History being named to the All-Star team and winning the NBA dunk contest in February.

The San Antonio Spurs this season were “experienced” rather than being old as they dominated the regular season with the best record in the West. Derrick Rose was named the youngest NBA MVP in history at the young age of 22 as he led his Bulls squad to a season best 61 wins.

As fans, players, or analysts of the game we were treated to one of the best NBA seasons and the playoffs were far from a disappointment. We saw the Grizzlies shock the NBA and knock off the top seeded Spurs in the first round. We saw what may very well be the end of the latest Lakers dynasty as they were swept in the second round of the playoffs.

The NBA season ended with Dirk Nowitzki leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA title propelling his name above all-time greats such as Barkley and Malone. This season was great beginning to end and the NBA had never been this successful be it economically, talent-wise, or through popularity.

Of course none of this matters because as of today the NBA is still Locked out so don’t expect any free agent signings to be excited about except those signed by players willing to play overseas and don’t count on any blockbuster trades that will change the NBA landscape as we know it. None of that will happen, not this offseason.

The owners and players are unable to see eye-to-eye on many of the big issues that have paralyzed negotiations concerning signing a new labor deal. No Blake Griffin highlight dunk will fix that problem and not even a 50-50 game from Kevin Love will help get the two sides to compromise on a new way to split the billions of dollars that the NBA of today generates every year in revenue.

Both sides seem convinced that next season will be lost, but even if we were to have a repeat of the 98-99 50 game season it would be a great loss for every player, fan, and supporter of the NBA to lose any number of games and forever have an asterisk by the 2011-2012 NBA season as one that was shortened due to another lockout on Stern’s Watch.

As this lockout further stews more and more NBA players are considering leaving the NBA for Europe such as Deron Williams did when he signed with the Turkish squad Bestikas, or even leave for china as Kobe Bryant, Carmelo, and Chris Paul have all alluded to if the NBA season were to be canceled.

Free agent Wilson Chandler recently signed to play in China knowing that he will not be allowed to play in the NBA if the 2011-2012 season were to take place. This lockout is far too complicated for the average fan to understand, and it would be foolish for fans to simply side with the players because those are the people that provide us with the highlight reels.

Many small market NBA teams are not producing a healthy profit to under the current system. That is no way to entice buyers, investors, and sponsors to spend their resources on the NBA, and that is why something needs to give. I am in full support of shortening the max deal from 6 years after seeing contracts like those of Jermaine O’Neal and Tracy McGrady paralyzing their front offices with injuries that cost them seasons.

There is no better example of why these max deals need to be shortened that Gilbert Arenas who signed a 111 Million Dollar contract only to deteriorate drastically on the court, while running into legal trouble off of it. Owners are trying to sign a ten year labor deal when they are expected to generate more revenue from a new TV deal five years from now and players won’t stand for that.

These are just a few of the many issues that cause NBA.com to be a hideous website now as it removed all content related to current NBA players and teams.

Right now the NBA is in a Lockout but depending on what negotiations between David Stern and Billy Hunter will bring, the 2011-2012 NBA Season may be looked back at one where LeBron James finally won his first ring proving all the naysayers wrong, or it could go down as a season in which the most talented players in the world left the NBA to display their talents in China and Europe.

If there is one thing we know for certain it is that the 2011-2012 NBA season will be historical for better or for worse.