http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/steve_aschburner/12/06/free-agency-trades/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt Posted Dec 6 2011 12:00PM
It began, in no small part, because of barrels.
That is, the NBA lockout began because of the barrels over which franchise stars such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony had their respective teams in Cleveland, Toronto and Denver not so long ago.
Back then, each of those players had the freedom, the incentives and/or the leverage to get precisely what he wanted, where he wanted, without regard for the effect it might have on the NBA landscape. And while no right-thinking American could argue against freedom, one could object to a system in which incentives and leverage so favored one side (the players) over the other (the owners) in what needs to be both a competitive and cooperative system.
Which is why the NBA plunged itself into its second serious labor dispute in 13 years, lost the first eight weeks of the 2011-12 regular season and set itself up to be in frantic, land-rush mode when camps and free agency open on Friday.
The lockout ended. The barrels remain.
Star players still have the freedom, the incentives and/or the leverage to dictate their whereabouts ... and their whereabouts always seem to involve the same half-dozen teams. Instead of James and Bosh landing in Miami and Anthony forcing his way to New York, the post-lockout mania centers on Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams pushing in some variation toward the Knicks, the Nets, the Lakers and the Mavericks.
i was going to post my opinions but i want to see what you nba fans think about the CBA
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