Talks break off, more NBA games canceled

A third straight day of talks failed to generate an NBA labor settlement Friday and the league canceled all remaining games that had been scheduled in November. There had been increased optimism Thursday that a deal between owners and players was within reach, but the inability to agree on how to split the basketball related income (BRI) kept the sides apart. "We held out that joint hope, but in light of the breakdown of talks, there will not be a full season under any circumstances," NBA Commissioner David Stern said after the talks ended for the day. "It is not practical, possible or prudent to have a full season now." No further talks were scheduled, although it appeared likely they would resume at some point next week. The opening two weeks of the season had already been wiped out and Stern said the further loss of games was not meant as punishment for no deal having been made. "These are not punitive announcements," Stern said. "These are calendar-generated announcements." There were 22 hours of meetings over three days this week, with one of those sessions extending to 3 a.m. "We didn't want to rush for this today just to build artificial pressure to close out a deal that's going to affect our members for years," said union President Derek Fisher. "Today wasn't the day." Players are demanding at least 52.5 percent of BRI, which Fisher said was down about $200 million a year from the union's original offer. The league wants a 50-50 split. "Our number was our number," said Hunter. "We just couldn't bridge the gap." Stern said the longer it takes to made a deal, the more money is lost, and the harder it will be to get an agreement. "You can assume our offer will change to reflect the changed set of economic circumstances," Stern said. "Both sides are very badly damaged. The amount of dollars lost to the owners is extraordinary and the amount lost by players under individual contracts is also extraordinary. But that's what happens in a labor dispute when there's a shutdown." The NBA season was to have started Nov. 1. The players have been locked out since July 1, when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired.