NBA Lockout: Paul Allen and the NBA's Hardline Media Tactics Expose Dishonesty

If basketball fans would really pay attention to the events that are transpiring, they would see that if there is any villain(s) in this NBA Lockout mess, it is the owners. It isn't David Stern—he is an overpaid pawn, plain and simple.

The most recent incident that shows the dastardly and manipulative nature of this band of rich and powerful men occurred at the conclusion of the labor meetings on Thursday, October 20th.

Deep in mediation, the meeting was brought to a halt when Portland Trailblazers owner and mega-mogul Paul Allen "hijacked" the meetings, according to player's union head man Billy Hunter.

It is alleged that Allen is the man who delivered the ultimatum—50/50 BRI split on talks may as well end now.

Surely, this event is disputed, most recently by NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, who denied this report. Now, this could easily be debated, and you may choose to believe Hunter or Silver, or find yourself someplace in the middle.

The report that came from Mike Tokito, an Oregon Live NBA beat reporter with first-hand knowledge of the situation, is the most telling. It uncovers the nature of the NBA owners and their front men we call commissioners.

Tokito tweeted that the Blazers and NBA insisted that the explanation interview be done with a non-NBA Oregonian writer.

Now why would that be? Because it is an effort to control the way the story is reported. What was worse is that an ultimatum was delivered to the Oregonian. Tokito writes that if they didn't comply, the NBA and the Blazers would give the story to a competitor.

How strong-arm is that? They have set up an interview to say that "one of our owners did not issue a 50/50 ultimatum, but you better let us talk to the guy we want. If not, we'll tell our side of the story to someone else."

So you didn't use the ultimatum tactic there, but you're using it here.

This is the same group of billionaires who want to make you believe that they are losing money on their billion dollar investments, who just happen to be human beings.

To quote one of my least favorite rappers, who was coincidentally quoting a police chief from the movie Malcom X, "no one man should have all that power." It's men, in this case, but you get the idea.