NBA commissioner David Stern was in Memphis Wednesday to attend the Grizzlies game against the Charlotte Bobcats.
During the first half Stern was interviewed about the state of the league, with an emphasis on the collective bargaining agreement that is set to expire at the end of this season.
Stern told Fox Sports that the NBA needs a “fundamental reset” with regard to the league’s revenue distribution between owners and players.
He also suggested that revenue sharing among the NBA’s 30 franchises is an area that must be addressed.
Under the current CBA, wealthy teams like Boston and Los Angeles can go over the salary cap to sign players if they elect to pay a “tax.” If Stern has his way, that will no longer be allowed.
“The whole concept of the hardening of the cap is to make players available on a broader basis,” he said. “We have got to have some system where all teams are capable of making a profit and all teams are capable of winning a championship.”
Stern is in his fourth decade as the NBA’s commissioner, overseeing the league’s growth and increased international popularity.
But Stern knows that the owners and players must come to terms before the start of the 2011-12 season or risk a lock out.
The NBA experienced one work stoppage in its history, the lockout that wiped out 32 games during the 1998-99 season.
The league is asking for considerable changes to the current economic system. The union submitted a contract proposal in July after rejecting the league’s initial plan in February.
Also of major concern are several of the franchise’s continued survival, most notably the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings have the lowest average attendance of any of the thirty NBA teams and are frequently mentioned as one of the franchises that are in jeopardy of being contracted.
As far as the league taking over the New Orleans Hornets, all Stern would say is “We did what we did to try and make it better.”
