NBA Lockout: Will David Stern Cancel the 2011-12 Season?

Are you ready for the hyperbole part of the NBA lockout?

After months of little to no progress, NBA commissioner David Stern is busting out the big guns.

He plans on telling the players at Friday’s meeting that the entire 2011-2012 season is going to be cancelled unless significant progress on a new deal isn’t made by the end of the weekend according to ESPN’s Marc Stein:

Sounds like nothing more than a way to get the public freaked out right? A way to force the players association’s hand? Not so according to Stein’s report:

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Although sources said the union views such an extreme stance as more of a negotiating tactic than a legitimate threat, Stern went almost that far in his comments to reporters in New York on Wednesday after a second straight day of negotiations.

Referring to meetings scheduled Friday that are expected to attract as many as 15 owners and star players such as the Heat's LeBron James, Stern said: "I'm focused on let's get the two committees in and see whether they can either have a season or not have a season, and that's what's at risk this weekend."

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As Thursday marks day No. 91 of the lockout, finally the two sides are getting serious about the negations.

If a deal isn’t reached by Monday or Tuesday, there will be regular season games missed. Stern is starting to work the media by using such phrases as “enormous consequences at play” when describing the importance of this weekend.

The owners finally have budged on the idea of a hard-cap but still want a 50-50 split when it comes to dividing up the revenue.

This is just one of the many issues that are holding up the season. The mid-level exception, luxury tax penalty and the “Larry Bird exception” are all topics that have split both sides substantially.  

The funniest part of this ugly story?

Assuming LeBron James attends, he will be face-to-face with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert for the first time since the “decision.”

Keep an eye on the progress of this weekend’s meetings as the future of how many games are played this season are at stake.