Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
I imagine we won't be seeing any more NBA games today. And possibly for the rest of the week. Maybe longer?
I'm so fascinated to see what Silver does here because he works for the owners after all and they (along with the advertisers) need these games to be played. The NBA would have the ability to break up the CBA if they chose to.
Will NEVER happen.
The NBA has a max contract and hard caps. Those teams absolutely print money, especially with their popularity in China (hence their willingness to lick Chinese boot).
There isn't a sport in the land where the players have more power than the NBA. Silver will delay as long as he has to. And if the players refuse to re-enter the bubble and the post-season doesn't continue, Silver will issue a statement in support.
He won't do shit. Because again - venn diagrams. His fanbase doesn't want him to by an overwhelming majority and the league has effectively no power over the players.
The problem is that the players seem to think that they matter OUTSIDE of the NBA landscape. Fellas....you really don't.
Originally Posted by tk13:
Oh for sure. But it's their right to do it. It's not surprising considering what happened in the Bucks backyard.
People are nuts and make everything political, but at the same time athletes have a lot of power. Not just these guys, but as we've seen with LeBron, Mahomes, etc. If they want to bring attention to something they pretty much have as much power as anyone.
It is? I wasn't aware we could just not do our jobs because some asshat got himself shot by the cops
Originally Posted by dj56dt58:
It is? I wasn't aware we could just not do our jobs because some asshat got himself shot by the cops
Sure ya can.
I mean, your employer can fire you, but it's within your purview.
But if you're in the top 1% of the top 1% in the world at what you do and with that skill you bring your employer billions....well, he'll probably let you slide this time.
People that try to compare ourselves with professional athletes are missing a whole lot of distinguishing factors here...
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Will NEVER happen.
The NBA has a max contract and hard caps. Those teams absolutely print money, especially with their popularity in China (hence their willingness to lick Chinese boot).
There isn't a sport in the land where the players have more power than the NBA. Silver will delay as long as he has to. And if the players refuse to re-enter the bubble and the post-season doesn't continue, Silver will issue a statement in support.
He won't do shit. Because again - venn diagrams. His fanbase doesn't want him to by an overwhelming majority and the league has effectively no power over the players.
The problem is that the players seem to think that they matter OUTSIDE of the NBA landscape. Fellas....you really don't.
They can't print money if the players don't play the games. Something has to give if this is an extended thing. And for all of its ostensible support of these causes, they're still just a business in the end.
Originally Posted by dj56dt58:
It is? I wasn't aware we could just not do our jobs because some asshat got himself shot by the cops
Well sure you can, in reality you have every right to not go into work.
These guys have a way bigger megaphone than any of us will ever have though, and they know it. Honestly bigger than most anyone in America who isn't a presidential candidate.
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
They can't print money if the players don't play the games. Something has to give if this is an extended thing. And for all of its ostensible support of these causes, they're still just a business in the end.
They can't this summer...no.
But they'll be able to turn the machines back in the winter.
Because if you come out against this stuff right now, you're done in that league. Permanently. You'll never get another FA and you'll have players demanding trades.
So everyone's gonna walk on egg shells and in complete lockstep until the league is legitimately bordering on insolvency. It's a long way from that. Especially when television partners at ESPN and TNT aren't gonna hold their feet to the fire either (ESPN has clearly cast its lot with the NBA and Wokeness).
There's simply no long-term win to be had by the NBA here if they put their feet down. They just have to eat shit for awhile.
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
The problem is that the players seem to think that they matter OUTSIDE of the NBA landscape. Fellas....you really don't.
False.
It's pretty clear that you do not live in an NBA town. I DO and the Lakers are KING's in Los Angeles.
Why do you think the Garden is packed even though the Knicks haven't been relevant in more than 20 years?
Honestly I don't think it would carry as much weight if this was the Phoenix Suns or something.
The fact it was done by a legit title contender with the league MVP will give it more weight. It's probably about a half step behind Mahomes doing this for a Chiefs game. The rest of the league pretty much has to fall in line.
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
They can't this summer...no.
But they'll be able to turn the machines back in the winter.
Because if you come out against this stuff right now, you're done in that league. Permanently. You'll never get another FA and you'll have players demanding trades.
So everyone's gonna walk on egg shells and in complete lockstep until the league is legitimately bordering on insolvency. It's a long way from that. Especially when television partners at ESPN and TNT aren't gonna hold their feet to the fire either (ESPN has clearly cast its lot with the NBA and Wokeness).
There's simply no long-term win to be had by the NBA here if they put their feet down. They just have to eat shit for awhile.
Is racial injustice going somewhere by the winter? If they can boycott now, they can boycott later too.
It's really a brutal position for Silver/the league to be in right now.