2011 NBA Lockout: Those Really Being Affected by the NBA Labor Talks

We just passed the 115-day NBA lockout milestone. That’s almost four months for those of you marking your calendar. The league has already canceled the entire preseason, multiple annual events and the first two weeks of the regular season. Sadly, it doesn’t seem as if there is an end in sight. 

All the focus thus far has been on the multimillionaire players who are suffering more from boredom than income loss, and the multibillionaire owners whose only concern is that the players don’t get a majority of next year’s revenue pie—but what about those without access to the media’s headlines? 

It seems that money does in fact talk and, conversely, it seems that those without money can’t. 

The individuals who maintain the functionality of the league through their unnoticed and unheralded work behind the scenes are the ones that are being most affected by this work stoppage, yet their words are being drowned out by those in the limelight. Overlooked and under-appreciated, this league’s staff and officials, maintenance workers, concession stand employees, security personnel and others like them are being denied the privilege to work because of the greediness of those atop the NBA’s hierarchy.

And, worst of all, they’re being ignored—turned a blind eye to. 

Over 110 employees (which makes up about 11 percent of the league’s head offices) have already been laid off as of July, and who knows how many more are to come? NBA spokesman Mike Bass told The Associated Press that they were not laid off because of the lockout, but rather as “a response to the underlying issue that the league’s expenses far outpace [its] revenues.” 

The lockout and the laying off of these individuals are solely due to the league and its unregulated spending. It has allowed the franchises to spend an excessive amount of money. Subpar players are receiving multimillion dollar contracts and owners are completely disregarding team salary caps. 

I’m all for coming to an economical and reasonable solution to this lockout, but to ask the individuals whose income, or possibly even livelihood, is at stake to sacrifice for the good of those who are already financially stable is selfish and an utter travesty. 

All in all, the world is a better place with professional basketball in action. There should be no room for petty arguments over the distribution of billions when those only seeking minimum wage are being denied the privilege to work. The media needs to begin to address the positions and opinions of the majority of those affected by the work stoppage—not just those with a majority of the cash.