The National Basketball Association has every reason to be scared that the players’ association will hold out and cause the upcoming season to be lost. However, it also has every reason to be optimistic even though the season could be in jeopardy.
Without a doubt, the NBA would lose millions of dollars this year without having a season, which is never a good thing, but there are at least three reasons why commissioner David Stern is not as worried as he should be throughout this process. Those three reasons keep him from popping anxiety pills every five minutes.
The first reason is because the players are showing that they care. Kevin Durant made ESPN headlines this summer when he went to play a pick-up game at Harlem’s infamous Rucker Park. Durant scored an astonishing 66 points and left the park with even more respect from the fans than before.
Durant is not the first player to play at Rucker Park. Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and even Wilt Chamberlain have all laced up at New York’s historic facility.
Chris Paul joined Durant made headlines for hosting a pick-up game at his mother and father‘s alma matter, Winston-Salem State University. The game was put on for charity and included big names such as Durant, Paul, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, John Wall and Rudy Gay.
We have all seen commercials of players during the season going to a local elementary school and reading to children, but this type of organized activity by the game’s superstars shows that they actually care about the game and its supporters.
The second reason why this lockout is not threatening Stern’s health is because of the threats by players to play internationally. Bryant has arranged to play overseas if this season is a wash. On one hand, this could be a catastrophic downfall for the NBA, seeing that Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest, if not the greatest to play in his generation.
On the other hand, the NBA is a league that is televised in nearly every country. David Stern has done his best to promote the league overseas, and like everything else these days it has gone global. If Kobe Bryant were to play overseas he could generate even more followers for the league, and when the NBA does resume, Stern would have Kobe to thank for padding his wallet.
The last reason Stern will not be on The Dr. Oz Show anytime soon is because, unlike the NFL, the NBA has an 82-game season. The timeline for the NBA to come to an agreement is dwindling, but it does not have to worry about canceling half of its season just yet, though the first two weeks have been trashed. The lengthy game season means that most people won’t even begin following their teams until they have already played 10-plus games — or whenever football season is over.
In a nutshell, the next time you hear about Stern, whether it is when you turn on the TV, pick up the newspaper or read your favorite sports column (I suggest this one), remember that he does not have the world on his back during this negotiation process.
After all, if he did, he would be getting heart health advice from Dick Cheney by now.
Blair Elliott is a senior communication studies major. Email him at be375607@ohiou.edu.
