Fibroso
11-26-2011, 10:08 AM
Owners, players reach handshake deal to end lockout http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/ed/experts/wojnarowski.png By Adrian Kornarowiskin Yahoo! Sports 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
The NBA and the Players Association have reached a tentative agreement to end the five-month old lockout and start the season on Dec. 25.
More From Adrian Wojnarowski
After 16 hours of negotiations Friday, the two sides reached a handshake agreement a little after 3 a.m. ET.
Both sides must still get final vote approval from owners and players to finalize the agreement
NBA commissioner David Stern held a news conference with Players Association executive director Billy Hunter and presiden tDerek Fisher notes at 3:40 a.m. in New York.
“We’re optimistic that the [agreement] will hold and we’ll have ourselves an NBA season,” Stern said.
Free agency and training camps will start on Dec. 9, Stern said.
After disbanding as a union and filling an antitrust suit against the NBA, the Players Association can immediately reform as a union and hold a vote to ratify the deal. The terms of the agreement included a 50-50 revenue split, a source said.
“I speak for everyone when we say, ‘If we work, we’re excited,” Los Angeles Lakers forward Matt Barnes said. “I thought we’d eventually come to something. The league is doing too well to dismiss the season. I thought we’d get started in January or February.”
The NBA and the Players Association have reached a tentative agreement to end the five-month old lockout and start the season on Dec. 25.
More From Adrian Wojnarowski
After 16 hours of negotiations Friday, the two sides reached a handshake agreement a little after 3 a.m. ET.
Both sides must still get final vote approval from owners and players to finalize the agreement
NBA commissioner David Stern held a news conference with Players Association executive director Billy Hunter and presiden tDerek Fisher notes at 3:40 a.m. in New York.
“We’re optimistic that the [agreement] will hold and we’ll have ourselves an NBA season,” Stern said.
Free agency and training camps will start on Dec. 9, Stern said.
After disbanding as a union and filling an antitrust suit against the NBA, the Players Association can immediately reform as a union and hold a vote to ratify the deal. The terms of the agreement included a 50-50 revenue split, a source said.
“I speak for everyone when we say, ‘If we work, we’re excited,” Los Angeles Lakers forward Matt Barnes said. “I thought we’d eventually come to something. The league is doing too well to dismiss the season. I thought we’d get started in January or February.”