NBA Lockout: Why the Players Have the Upper Hand in the Labor Dispute

Like all disputes, the side with the better case or resources prevails. The NBA lockout is no different, and the winner will be the one who can incur deficits for a longer period of time. The NBA players, due to increased opportunities, publicity, and an existing advantage in income distribution, have the ability to do just that.  

Foreign influences on the game of basketball over the past two decades have increased almost exponentially. We have seen a game primarily based in North America spread globally in a mater of years. An influx of overseas players to the NBA, and vice versa, has resulted in a melting pot of styles, tempos and skills. Both European and Chinese clubs, especially, are now a close second in competition and entertainment to the NBA itself.

This mixing of basketball ideas and play has opened doors for NBA players to “take their talents overseas." 

ESPN reports that 63 NBA players or draftees are currently playing, or have signed contracts to play, overseas. Over 110 others are in the process of signing a contract or have expressed interest in playing. 

Another 14 or so NBA players have organized what is being deemed the “World All-Star Classic,” headlined by Kobe, Durant and Wade, along with 11 other NBA stars, and it is set to make stops on four different continents and result in millions of dollars in revenue. 

The foreign influence on the game has given NBA players opportunities unfamiliar to the players experiencing the ’98-’99 lockout. They now have an alternative source of income. 

NBA players and pro-NPBA supporters have also been able to rally fans and enthusiasts across the globe via social media sites like Twitter (you can check out an earlier article of mine on this very concept here). Every development on the lockout is publicized almost immediately, and opinions and perspectives are being able to be spread just as rapidly. There are very few pro-owner and pro-league supporters out there as a result. 

Finally, they already have the upper hand as far as BRI is concerned. The players are currently offering 52.5 percent as their golden number. Yes, as far as their 57 percent of basketball related income that they received under the terms of the previous CBA is concerned, they are taking a hit, but they could not really expect to hold a 14 percent advantage in income over the owners forever.

The league can’t continue to take the $160 million hit per week of missed games. Rather than getting desperate later and sacrificing more revenue, they should take the five percent victory and celebrate it.  

The players have other options. The owners do not. As much as people think a Shane Falco led Replacement League is possible, it’s not entertaining and it's unsustainable. Nobody wants to see a bunch of scrubs going at each other on a nationally televised game when they know that just across the ocean the greatest players in the world are duking it out. 

Stop with the greedy and arrogant antics and put a realistic CBA on the table. For the benefit of the owners, the fans, and, more importantly, the livelihood of the league, get a deal done.