[hels]

I thought they were raking in the cash.... I feel a little bit dumbfounded after reading this. How are they losing so much???

from: http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/2.../13/stern_nba/

DALLAS -- David Stern said Saturday the NBA is projecting league-wide losses of about US$400 million this season and has lost hundreds of millions in each previous year of the current collective bargaining agreement.
The commissioner said it has shown the players' association those numbers in hopes of demonstrating why the league feels it needs "significant changes" in the next deal.
The NBA's first proposal for a deal to replace the one that expires in July 2011 was thrown out Friday after what players association director Billy Hunter called a "contentious" 90-minute meeting. Hunter said the proposal called for harsh changes that would affect every NBA player.
"The right adjectives were thrown around, and our proposal appropriately denounced. Our response is, 'You can denounce it, tear it up, you can burn it, you can jump up and down on it, as long as you understand that it reflects the financial realities of where we are,"' Stern said during his annual all-star press conference.
"And if you would like to have your own proposal, as long as it comes back and deals with our financial realities, that's OK with us. That's fine with us. In fact, that's what we would like to do."
Stern criticized the union's behaviour at the session, saying it earned "high marks on the list of theatrical negotiations." He revealed that the players' side brought in a lawyer who threatened that the union would be decertified, making negotiating more difficult.
He also had sharp words for his own side, denouncing anonymous comments made by team executives that served to inflame the bargaining process.
"If you know me, and you know our owners, that's not what we do. That's not us. And the players were upset with those quotes, which I find cowardly, if they were actually said," Stern said. "And if I ever found out who said them, they would be dealt with; they would be former, former NBA people, not current. And we assured the stars of that."

[Tree Rollins]

The league is in negotiations with the player's assosciation for some serious cuts to the salary cap and maximum player salaries.

[Enogsiwon]

A league that let Jason Richardson, a player that cannot dribble or play defense, sign for the maximum deserves to crumble..

[pavyracer]

Most arenas are empty. I heard the Nets last home game was watched by 1,000 people. Basketball games in Malta have more fans than 1,000.

[Tree Rollins]

a lot of guys even worse then Jason Richardson have signed for the max. Peja and Kenyon martin a few years ago. Eddy Curry's fat sloppy ass got a max deal. Andrei Kirilenko even got one, and he's softer then his mommas vagina.

[INVEGA MAN]

how are they losing so much? its called SALARY. fans are fed up paying $9 a beer a $5 a hot dog. Oh yes parking $20.

[whatsgood5]

Wow, had no clue things were that bad

[branch0095]

A lot of it has to do with the economy just like everything else. I heard a discussion on this a few months ago and the NBA's projected profit decrease this year was some where around 11% as opposed to the national average of 7.5% this year. Obviously any profit decrease is bad and is due to the recession, but according to them, the recession has hit the NBA 50% harder than the national average just about. This discussion was brought up because they were talking about the huge free agent season coming up , and how a lot of teams have been getting expiring contracts and clearing up money for the Lebron, D Wayde and Chris Bosh lottery. They were saying that this recession and loss of profits will increase the chances that these players will stay with their current teams because the NBA and the players union negotiate salary cap increase/decrease based on what the league has made or lost the previous season. And with a potential 10% drop in salary cap, these teams that have set up their payrolls to go after these superstars may now not even have the cap room to offer more than the players current teams.

Again, I heard this a few months ago towards the beginning of the season so Im not sure how these numbers may have skewed, but it theyre talking about that kind of revenue loss then it all makes sense to me.

[tltaylor89]

No stars

[BestPlay2day]

Will definately be a lockout in 2011, teams are looking to get rid of good players that have long term contract for expiring contracts. That's a huge sign that the league is in serious trouble. Recession is another factor as companies aren't writing blank checks for $500 seats and suites anymore, companies are watching their bottom line much more closely. Also, they might want to stop financing a losing league like the WNBA. If they can't make money or have the potential to make money on their own, they the league should be folded. Lots of arenas are 1/2 full or less as they quit caring about the fans and putting out a quality product. I am in Minnesota, and the shit they trot out there is an insult to the basketball fans in Minny. There needs to be a hard salary cap and they need to figure out how to make the fans happy again instead of jacking up ticket prices threw the roof.

[Enogsiwon]

You can only watch a bunch of 6'8" guys jump and dunk a ball so many times before it's time to move on..all this soccer hype will blow over like global warming baloney too..

It takes a sport like baseball, with so many intricate parts to last the test of time..Football and baseball will always be the greatest..

[krs]

One thing I never understand about claims like these by the leagues: The teams offer these contracts and pay these salaries. If you don't have the money then you don't commit to a salary. Period. Therefore, I think the owners (NBA and others) use accountant tricks to hide their true economic state. For example, a team may have a negative cash flow in a given year but the book value of the team rises. Also, there are all sorts of revenue streams that may not be accounted for.

[rm18]

Nets had 1000 fans because of snow

[RobbReport]

they fix too many games anyway. Kobe doesn't perform like Jordan every game and Lebron isn't living up to the hype.

[blix177]

What is a few $400million.

[ijenpo]

You can only watch a bunch of 6'8" guys jump and dunk a ball so many times before it's time to move on..all this soccer hype will blow over like global warming baloney too..

It takes a sport like baseball, with so many intricate parts to last the test of time..Football and baseball will always be the greatest..

Baseball is the lamest sport. Seriously, how can you sit though a whole game watching people trying to hit a ball with a bat? No excitement at all....

[garlic toast]

Check their swiss bank accounts & the money that is funneled to them from fixing games for vegas & online sportsbooks. Profits are probably in the billions. Follow the money trail $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$ $ $ $

[JohnAnthony]

Explains all the fixing....

....

...

[Enogsiwon]

Baseball is the lamest sport. Seriously, how can you sit though a whole game watching people trying to hit a ball with a bat? No excitement at all....

100% guarantee you are young, think Jolie is better than Aniston, and think its amazing that Lebron James Jumps high and throws a ball through a hoop...

you have alot to learn young grasshopper..

patience is a virtue..

[EmpireMaker]

Nets had 1000 fans because of snow

And Because they blow

[Tsoprano]

They better bring in Tim Donaghy to start fixing games to being in extra revenue.

[rm18]

Total salaries way over a billion for players alone so there are a lot of costs to make up, but still I am surprised they are losing money, plus they have always carried the WNBA who has lost money like 12 years in a row.

[RobbReport]

100% guarantee you are young, think Jolie is better than Aniston, and think its amazing that Lebron James Jumps high and throws a ball through a hoop...

you have alot to learn young grasshopper..

patience is a virtue..

dont make me clothesline from hell your ass...

[THEGREAT30]

they will survive

[genius]

Damn nets

[JohnAnthony]

100% guarantee you are young, think Jolie is better than Aniston, and think its amazing that Lebron James Jumps high and throws a ball through a hoop... you have alot to learn young grasshopper.. patience is a virtue..

This statement shows user Engosiwon is solid after all.

[bo281]

went to sixers other night, only a couple thousand people there, 60 miles north, the nets are getting about that every game, you can have stadiums, staff and payrolls based on 20,000 compacity stadiums and not even get a quarter of that.

[doublec]

I think the lack of defense or intensity compared to college ball has many fans disinterested. Admittedly, I don't live within 100 miles of any NBA team, but most of the people around here think the NBA seems more like a pick-up game after watching some college games. Obviously the amount of games played has something to do with that, but it does seem to be a problem.

[lunchbawks]

dont trust sportsnet
dont trust david stern and his projected losses

[genius]

The nba hasnt been the same since players from the 80's retired most notably jordan and malone/stockon and pippen however 03 was the rebirth but who wants to see overpaid diva's in a reccession?

[JohnAnthony]

The nba hasnt been the same since players from the 80's retired most notably jordan and malone/stockon and pippen however 03 was the rebirth but who wants to see overpaid diva's in a reccession?

You calling Lebron a diva..?

[Tsoprano]

They are trying to get all the $400million back tonight on commercials from that almost 1 hour halftime and long pregame show

[Brock Landers]

NBA is a piece of shit for the most part, i watch college hoops, and nothing else. NBA might as well be WWF wrestling.

[JohnAnthony]

NBA is a piece of shit for the most part, i watch college hoops, and nothing else. NBA might as well be WWF wrestling.

You saying NCAA basketball is better than NBA?

Why do you think so B?

[genius]

you calling lebron a diva..?

not exactly but

im sure you saw the gatorade tantrum and the dunk denial fiasco