[McDunkin]

Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry is known for his cantankerous attitude and outspoken ways just as much as he’s known for underhanded free throws and NBA/ABA* championships. And as you’d expect, he’s just as upset about the ongoing NBA lockout as we are. Unlike a lot of us, though, Barry thinks the players are at fault for the lost offseason and canceled first two weeks of the regular season.

In an interview with Fox, Barry places the blame squarely at the feet of the Players Association’s top representative, while utilizing his typical brand of cranky candor:

"I’m not a big fan of (union executive director) Billy Hunter. What are they going to get if they lose 30 games and get zero concessions? What are they going to get if owners are going to hold their position? Owners screwed up their finances the last time (with collective bargaining agreements of 1999 and 2005). They want a chance now to break even and that’s not unreasonable."

[…]

"It’s insane. It’s so stupid. (The players) need to minimize the negative effect by doing a deal now."

Barry’s not wrong, in his sentiments at least. Hunter hasn’t done a good job, this time around, and "insane" and "stupid" probably are the best two ways to describe the mess we’ve had to sift through since last June.

Rick is also trumping up the idea that the players and owners should settle on a clear 50/50 split of basketball-related income, which makes complete and total sense if it were just that simple.

The problem isn’t the percentage split, as Monday’s long negotiations revealed. It’s the idea of what goes into that basketball-related income that makes this such a tough sell for each side. The costs of team ownership and what they mean to actual revenue? These are fluid things that aren’t as easily sussed out in a terrible 2011 economy, unlike what were apparently America’s halcyon days of 1995, 1999, and (seriously?) 2005.

With strong revenue, a certain percentage split guarantees that NBA players would actually make more than their listed contracts once the escrow payments associated with the income percentages are added to the mix. But if the owners place a litany of qualifiers and caveats on that percentage split, then it’s not in the players’ best interests to take even a 57 percent cut; as was the case in 1999 and 2005.

So, yes. It’s insane, and so stupid. Neither side has come off well, here, and the players are certainly due to take a hit after cleaning up during the 1995, 1999, and 2005 negotiations (even if maybe 5 percent of the current workforce was around for those collective bargaining agreements). But the players aren’t exactly off their rockers, here.

Rick Barry isn’t off his, though. Far from it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Rick-Barry-sensibly-agrees-that-this-lockout-is-?urn=nba-wp9339

[PyronParticipant]

 go rick barry!!

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

Ha, what a hypocrite. This is the guy who jumped to the ABA from the NBA for money even though he was still technically under contract with the Warriors. He had to sit out a whole year between leagues. Then while in the ABA refused to report for two different teams.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Yeah, its easy to talk now..Dat you’re no longer a player..I wonder if Brent or Jon agrees with what he said?

 

But Where else in the World Does an Owner of a business Splits Profits 50/50 with Employees?

 

I said years ago,that alot of these new owners are going to Destroy the league..Becuz alot of them made the mistake of trying to run a basketball like they did their business..And most of them didnt know anything about basketball and had never followed or been a fan of the nba…They gave undeserving players Max Deals,just becuz they thought they had to give it to someone…

[MkadozaParticipant]

 But where else in teh world are your employees also the product your selling? If your employees were manufacturing something or offering services or refining raw materials, then yes, It wouldn’t make sense to offer a 50/50 split. BUt this isn’t a business where you can hire scabs and expect the same quality. You can’t switch Kobe for a Euroleague caliber player and expect your product or your team to be as successful.

All I have to say about this is they need to get it done.

[river09Participant]

 I am sick of this already… If you sign a contract isn’t it your obligation to fulfill it? I don’t understand the basis for the players for not stepping up and playing.. If you don’t like your compensation then just don’t re-sign.. I’m surprised fans aren’t more angry about this.. 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I That Unlike the NFL ,where the Teams carry the league..NBA players are who fans come to see..But the league have went on after Magic,Jordan,Dr.J ,Bird, Wilt amd West retired..And it will go on after Shaq, Kobe and players like Lebron retire…

Guys playing other professional sports envy NBA players becuz of their high salaries and guaranteed contracts..Last year the nba reported that 22 of its 30 teams were losing money..

I was reading somewhere the other day that Shaq made over 200 million dollars and Chris Webber made 150 million dollars during their careers..20 years ago that was the price to buy a franchise…

[Author]

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