DOCSLIB.ORG

The Basketball Lockout of 2011

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Basketball Lockout of 2011 Basketball Lockout The basketball lockout of 2011 The lockout resulted in the cancellation of 16 out of 82 regular-season games; the players came out of the negotiations with the percent share of their revenue substantially reduced, but they avoided a hard salary cap Paul D. Staudohar abor–management relations did not or so. Also, unlike most other businesses, play a dominant role in professional sports do not face outside competition, be- sports until the early 1970s. Grow- cause various leagues have granted owners a Ling fan interest in the games, heightened monopoly to present their teams’ games in by network television, transformed leagues the geographic areas in which those teams and teams into valuable business enterprises. are located. This monopoly power could be Players’ unions, previously weak and inef- altered by the formation of a new league fectual, emerged under new leadership to with competing teams in major league cit- seek a greater share of the expanding wealth ies, as has occasionally happened over the through collective bargaining. Ever since, years, but not recently. labor–management relations in sports have In recent years, lengthy lockouts have be- been characterized by conflict over money come commonplace in professional sports. and power. The most dramatic was the National Hock- The bargaining model in professional team ey League (NHL) lockout in 2004–2005, re- sports has many commonalities with other sulting in the cancellation of an entire sea- American industries. A key difference is that son.1 In 2011, the National Football League individual players’ salaries are determined in (NFL) sustained a 136-day lockout but no negotiations between the player—usually loss of games.2 This article concerns the Na- represented by an agent—and his team. Col- tional Basketball Association (NBA), which lective bargaining between the league and shut its doors on July 1, 2011, for a 149-day the union affects the individual negotiations, lockout that reduced the regular season from because it involves issues such as free agency, 82 to 66 games. team salary caps, and pensions, which to- Why are these lockouts occurring? When gether play a role in determining the overall players’ unions and leagues negotiate collec- share of league revenues that players receive. tive bargaining agreements, large amounts Noncompensation issues, such as drug test- of money are at stake. A limited number of ing, disciplinary action for off-field behavior, owners and players are contesting the dis- and the length of the season, are also deter- tribution of a few billion dollars in annual mined collectively. revenue. In the NBA, some of the owners are Paul D. Staudohar is professor emeritus of Another difference is that collective bar- billionaires and the average player salary of business administration gaining outside of professional sports typi- about $5.8 million a year is the highest in at California State cally has been less adversarial, in part be- sports (or any occupation, for that matter).3 University, East Bay, California, and a cause of the declining influence of organized Each side strives to maximize its power member of the National labor in the workforce over the last 40 years at the bargaining table, and work stoppages Academy of Arbitrators. 28 Monthly Labor Review • December 2012 are one way to maximize power. Strikes are the weapon exemption” applied, meaning that the league had legal of choice for sports unions, while owners use lockouts. If immunity from antitrust law so long as the parties had a there is to be a strike, it usually occurs late in the season, collective bargaining relationship. when players have received most of their pay and when At this juncture, dissident players were persuaded by owners are vulnerable to the loss of bounteous postseason their agents to have the union decertified, a move that television revenues. A players’ strike in major league base- would allow an antitrust suit to be brought against the ball in 1994–1995 resulted in cancellation of the playoffs league. A petition for decertification was filed with the and World Series. National Labor Relations Board, and an election was If little progress is being made in negotiations, owners scheduled. Meanwhile, the league declared a lockout on may take the preemptive step of a lockout before the sea- June 30, 1995, and proceeded to restructure some of its son begins and before players have collected paychecks. objectionable contractual proposals in the players’ favor. A lockout can motivate the players to make concessions These tactics proved successful, and the 1995–1996 season and often leads to a better deal for the owners. According began on time. to one study, lockouts and strikes in sports are happening Despite strike threats by the NBPA and brief lockouts with increasing frequency because they have no perma- in 1995 and 1996, there were no lengthy work stoppages nent impact upon attendance, which typically rebounds in basketball until 1998, a remarkable achievement given the year following the work stoppage.4 the frequent shutdowns in baseball, football, and hockey. By this time, the owners were represented by Commis- Background sioner (since 1983) David Stern and the players by Billy Hunter, a former U.S. attorney. The owners decided to re- The National Basketball Players Association NBPA( ) was open the 1995 collective bargaining agreement, because, formed in 1954 by Bob Cousy, a star player for the Boston by the 1997–1998 season, players were receiving about 57 Celtics.5 Following recognition by the owners in 1957, the percent of league revenue and the league claimed that half NBPA languished from lack of both interest and organiza- of its teams were losing money.6 tion. In 1962, however, the union hired Larry Fleisher as A major issue in the 1998 negotiations was that the league general counsel. Confronting owners in an adversarial re- wanted to have a hard salary cap while the union wanted lationship, Fleisher negotiated the first collective bargain- to maintain the status quo. The settlement reached in 1999, ing agreement in all of professional sports in 1967. following a 202-day lockout that canceled about half the TheNBA was the first professional sports league to nego- season, maintained the soft salary cap. However, the own- tiate a salary cap, beginning with the 1984–1985 season. ers won a cap on individual player salaries and a limit of A limit was placed on team payrolls, with the idea that 12 percent on maximum annual raises for Larry Bird–type richer teams in large markets would be less able to en- free agents who re-sign with their old team and 10 percent tice free-agent players from small-market teams by paying for players who sign with other teams. This arrangement hefty salaries. However, the salary cap was soft because was meant to encourage free agents to remain with their there were numerous ways to circumvent it, such as al- clubs rather than signing with another team. Players were lowing a team to sign its own free-agent player without guaranteed 55 percent of league revenue in years 4 through his salary counting against the cap. This loophole became 6 of the agreement and 57 percent in year 7. known as the Larry Bird rule, named for the Celtic player A replacement agreement was reached in 2005 with- who took advantage of the exception. out a work stoppage. Relatively few changes were made Following negotiation of the 1988 agreement, Fleisher to the previous contract regarding free agency rules and retired. He was succeeded by Charles Grantham, who the salary cap, which continued to rise in accordance with wanted to eliminate the salary cap, the college draft, and league income. The new agreement barred U.S. players the right of first refusal—a right that allows a team to from joining the NBA until a year after their high school match a salary offered its free agent by another club—in class graduated. The agreement also raised the minimum 1994 negotiations. Grantham was unable to reach agree- age from 18 to 19.7 ment with the league, and the 1994–1995 season was played without a replacement contract. TheNBPA filed an Causes and issues antitrust suit seeking the elimination of labor market re- strictions, but a U.S. district court ruled against the play- In January 2010, the league made its proposals for a new ers. The court determined that the “nonstatutory labor collective bargaining agreement. Among these were a Monthly Labor Review • December 2012 29 Basketball Lockout 38-percent reduction (estimated at between $750 million the players’ share of BRI from 57 percent to 54.3 percent.11 and $800 million) in player pay, a rollback of existing sala- However, given the owners’ insistence on a 50–50 split of ries, a hard salary cap, and shorter contracts.8 The union revenue, there was still a sizable gap between the money wanted none of it. proposals, and the players were adamantly opposed to a Despite taking in $4 billion in annual revenue, the league hard salary cap. With the collective bargaining agreement claimed that 22 of its 30 teams were losing money and that due to expire on July 1, there was scant hope of reaching overall losses in the 2010–2011 season were about $370 agreement before then. million.9 These figures made cutting the players’ share of The owners’ subsequent lockout on July 1 caused the po- revenue a top priority. (NFL owners similarly sought to cut sitions of the parties to harden, and no negotiations were the players’ share of revenue in their 2011 negotiations, scheduled for a month. When talks resumed in August, even though none of the league’s teams were losing money.) no discernible progress was made during the next several A focal point of the NBA negotiations was how to divide weeks, and it began to look like training camps would not basketball-related income (BRI), which includes most of open on time and that the start of the regular season was in the revenue received by NBA teams, from sources such jeopardy.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • BASKETBALL and Corrections Made to the Recently Steen), 5:45
    20—MANCHESTER HERALD, Thursday, Feb. 7, 1991 Notre Dame may be set to unleash another Rocket FRIDAY By RICK WARNER foot-7, 160-pound speedster reminds expect him to be another Rocket.” Despite the signing of Miller, that Holtz might leave and the loss running backs, some great people on The Associated Press him of Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, the Like Ismail, Miller has excelled Notre Dame didn’t have a banner of several assistant coaches. the offensive line and a couple of triple-threat star who is leaving as a receiver, runner and kick recruiting year. “They needed linemen and they outstanding linebekers,” Wallace Notre Dame a year early to enter the returner. But the high school star LOCAL NEWS INSIDE Notre Dame may launch another “They’ve had the No. 1 recruiting didn’t get them,” Wallace said. said. Rocket next season. NFL draft. doesn’t want to be known as Rocket class the last four years, but this “And they didn’t get the quarterback “Michigan got the best group of II. year they’re not in the Top 10,” said they wanted, Jeff McCrone, who is defensive linemen, the two best ■ Peter DiRosa’s political years. The Fighting Irish landed one of “He looks like Rocket, he talks Allen Wallace, publisher of Super- going to Florida State.” quarterbacks from the state of the country’s most prized prospects like Rocket, he’s even got some of “I want my own identity,” he Prep magazine. “I’d rank them Florida State, Pfenn State and Michigan and the best athlete from Wednesday when receiver Mike the same facial expressions,” Holtz said.
    [Show full text]
  • National Basketball Association
    NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION {Appendix 2, to Sports Facility Reports, Volume 13} Research completed as of July 17, 2012 Team: Atlanta Hawks Principal Owner: Atlanta Spirit, LLC Year Established: 1949 as the Tri-City Blackhawks, moved to Milwaukee and shortened the name to become the Milwaukee Hawks in 1951, moved to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Hawks in 1955, moved to Atlanta to become the Atlanta Hawks in 1968. Team Website Most Recent Purchase Price ($/Mil): $250 (2004) included Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), and operating rights in Philips Arena. Current Value ($/Mil): $270 Percent Change From Last Year: -8% Arena: Philips Arena Date Built: 1999 Facility Cost ($/Mil): $213.5 Percentage of Arena Publicly Financed: 91% Facility Financing: The facility was financed through $130.75 million in government-backed bonds to be paid back at $12.5 million a year for 30 years. A 3% car rental tax was created to pay for $62 million of the public infrastructure costs and Time Warner contributed $20 million for the remaining infrastructure costs. Facility Website UPDATE: W/C Holdings put forth a bid on May 20, 2011 for $500 million to purchase the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), and ownership rights to Philips Arena. However, the Atlanta Spirit elected to sell the Thrashers to True North Sports Entertainment on May 31, 2011 for $170 million, including a $60 million in relocation fee, $20 million of which was kept by the Spirit. True North Sports Entertainment relocated the Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba. As of July 2012, it does not appear that the move affected the Philips Arena naming rights deal, © Copyright 2012, National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School Page 1 which stipulates Philips Electronics may walk away from the 20-year deal if either the Thrashers or the Hawks leave.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Page : Nebraska Press
    Nebraska fall / winter 2020 Contents Support the Press General Interest 2 Help the University of Nebraska Press continue its New in Paperback/Trade 54 vibrant program of publishing scholarly and regional Scholarly Books 63 books by becoming a Friend of the Press. Distribution 92 To join, visit nebraskapress.unl.edu or contact New in Paperback/Scholarly 95 Erika Kuebler Rippeteau, grants and development Journals 102 specialist, at 402-472-1660 or [email protected]. Index 103 To find out how you can help support a particular Ordering Information 104 book or series, contact Donna Shear, Press director, at 402-472-2861 or [email protected]. Ebooks are available for every title unless otherwise indicated. Subject Guide African American History 59, 96, 100 History/American West 4–5, 7–9, 46, 68, Nebraska 21–23, 78 74, 76–77, 96, 101 American Studies 49, 86, 100 Philosophy 53, 85 History/World 39, 42, 51, 81, 90 Anthropology 68–69, 96–98 Poetry 10, 24 Jewish History & Culture 1, 40, 51, Archaeology 69, 96 53–54, 61, 81 Political Science 35, 39–41, 50, 67 Art & Photography 34, 48, 72 Journalism 19, 31, 36 Psychology 85, 92 Bible Study 52–53 Language Arts & Disciplines 73, 97–98 Quarantine Methods 93 Biography 9, 39, 49, 57, 61, 65, 69, 83 Latin American History 74–76, 83, Reference 73, 98–99 Communicable Disease Control 93 96–97, 100 Religion 42, 53 Creative Nonfiction 21, 25, 27–28 Linguistics 73, 97–99 Sports 6–7, 12–17, 22, 58–61, 64 Cultural Criticism & Theory 48, 80, Literary Criticism 65, 80, 86–90, 97 Travel & Tourism 2, 8, 75 82, 86 Media
    [Show full text]
  • Downtrodden Yet Determined: Exploring the History Of
    DOWNTRODDEN YET DETERMINED: EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF BLACK MALES IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL AND HOW THE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION ADDRESSES THEIR WELFARE A Dissertation by JUSTIN RYAN GARNER Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, John N. Singer Committee Members, Natasha Brison Paul J. Batista Tommy J. Curry Head of Department, Melinda Sheffield-Moore May 2019 Major Subject: Kinesiology Copyright 2019 Justin R. Garner ABSTRACT Professional athletes are paid for their labor and it is often believed they have a weaker argument of exploitation. However, labor disputes in professional sports suggest athletes do not always receive fair compensation for their contributions to league and team success. Any professional athlete, regardless of their race, may claim to endure unjust wages relative to their fellow athlete peers, yet Black professional athletes’ history of exploitation inspires greater concerns. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to explore and trace the historical development of basketball in the United States (US) and the critical role Black males played in its growth and commercial development, and 2) to illuminate the perspectives and experiences of Black male professional basketball players concerning the role the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), collectively considered as the Players Association for this study, played in their welfare and addressing issues of exploitation. While drawing from the conceptual framework of anti-colonial thought, an exploratory case study was employed in which in-depth interviews were conducted with a list of Black male professional basketball players who are members of the Players Association.
    [Show full text]
  • 2007-08 MBB Section 1.Indd
    The Galen Center Home of USC Basketball 2007-2008 • 1 • USC BASKETBALL Table of Contents The 2007-2008 Trojans Trojan Quick Facts/Table of Contents ......................2 2007-2008 Schedule ................................................3 TROJAN QUICK FACTS Galen Center Facts ...............................................4-7 Galen Center Records ...........................................8-9 This is USC Hoops ............................................10-21 Location ......................................................................................................... Los Angeles, Calif. 2007-2008 Season Outlook ............................ 22-24 Founded ................................................................................................................................ 1880 Head Coach Tim Floyd ................................... 25-29 Enrollment ................................................................................. 33,000 (16,500 undergraduates) Assistant Coach Gib Arnold ................................. 30 President ................................................................................................... Dr. Steven B. Sample Assistant Coach Bob Cantu................................. 31 Colors ................................................................................................................. Cardinal & Gold Strength & Conditioning Manager Rudy Hackett . 32 Nickname..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Opponents Nba Directory Nba Directory Eiw Eod History Records 16-17 Review Players Leadership
    OPPONENTS NBA DIRECTORY NBA DIRECTORY LEADERSHIP PLAYERS 16-17 NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION CANADA NBA ENTERTAINMENT 50 Bay Street, Suite 1402, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 3A5 WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCATION Telephone: . (416) 682-2000 Fax: ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (416) 364-0205 NBA G LEAGUE NEW YORK ASIA/PACIFIC Olympic Tower, 645 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022 Telephone: ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (212) 407-8000 HONG KONG REVIEW RECORDS HISTORY Fax: �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(212) 832-3861 Room 3101, Lee Gardens One, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Telephone: . .+852-2843-9600 NEW JERSEY Fax: �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� +852-2536-4808 100 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ 07094 Telephone: ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (201) 865-1500 TAIWAN Fax: �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(201) 974-5973 Suite 1303, No. 88, Section 2, Chung Hsiao East Road, Taipei, Taiwan ROC 100 Telephone:
    [Show full text]
  • A New Ball Game: History of Labor Relations in the National
    A NEW BALL GAME: HISTORY OF LABOR RELATIONS IN THE NATIONAL OGÜN CAN ÇETİNER BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (1964-1976) A Master’s Thesis by OGÜN CAN ÇETİNER A NEW BALL GAME Department of History İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Ankara August 2020 Bilkent University 2020 Bilkent To my family A NEW BALL GAME: HISTORY OF LABOR RELATIONS IN THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (1964-1976) The Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences of İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent UniVersity by OGÜN CAN ÇETINER In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY İHSAN DOĞRAMACI BİLKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA August 2020 ABSTRACT A NEW BALL GAME: HISTORY OF LABOR RELATIONS IN THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (1964-1976) Çetiner, Ogün Can M.A., Department of history Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Owen Miller August 2020 Professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) founded the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) in 1954. The first collective act of professional basketball players under the NBPA was a threat to strike just before the 1964 NBA All-Star Game. Eventually, they had achieved to get the pension plan that they hoped for many years. Larry Fleisher, the general counsel of the NBPA, and Oscar Robertson, the president of the NBPA, were determined to abolish the reserve clause in basketball. The reserve clause restrained the free movement of professional athletes for many years, and NBA players were the ones who established staunch struggle against it, in various ways, including litigation. The NBPA filed a class-action lawsuit, also known as the Oscar Robertson lawsuit, against the merger between two basketball leagues, the NBA, and the ABA (American Basketball Association) in April 1970.
    [Show full text]
  • Ivy League Basketball 2018-19 Ivy League Men's Basketball Media
    18 1 19 Ivy League Basketball 2018-19 Ivy League Men’s Basketball Media Guide THE IVY LEAGUE TABLE OF CONTENTS 228 Alexander Street, 2nd Floor • Princeton, N.J. 08540 • (609) 258-6426 Robin Harris Executive Director .............................. [email protected] Carolyn Campbell-McGovern Deputy Executive Director [email protected] SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTIONS 1-4 Celene McGowan Associate Executive Director [email protected] Composite Schedule Megan Morrison Associate Executive Director ..................... [email protected] Matt Panto Associate Executive Director [email protected] ESPN Agreement Trevor Rutledge-Leverenz Senior Assistant Executive Director [email protected] Television/Broadcast Schedule Kevin Copp Assistant Executive Director [email protected] Sam Knehans Assistant Executive Director [email protected] Preseason Poll Kelson Lumpkin Assistant Executive Director [email protected] The 2019 Ivy League Men’s and Women’s Meghan Moore Assistant Executive Director ................... [email protected] Morgan Rupp Assistant Executive Director [email protected] Basketball Tournaments Lisa Gratkowski Business Manager [email protected] Amy Friedman Executive Assistant ....................................... [email protected] SECTION 2 - TEAMS 5-10 Brown BASKETBALL CONTACTS BROWN UNIVERSITY
    [Show full text]
  • Men's Basketball 2012-13 Record Book
    Men’s Basketball 2012-13 Record Book 2010-2011 Men’s Basketball Record Book baskeTball hisTory Table of ConTenTs First Year of Basketball: 1919 Last Postseason Appearance: 2006 General Information .................................................................1 All-Time Truman Record: 1080 - 1041 Last Time It Happened .............................................................1 (.509, 92 yrs) MIAA Record: 453-624 (.420, 85 yrs.) Truman First Team All-MIAA ....................................................1 MIAA Regular Season Championships : Head Coaches .........................................................................2 9 (78-79) Single Season Records - Team ...............................................2 MIAA Tournament Championships: 2 (98-99) Single Game Records - Individual ...........................................3 Single Season Records - Individual .........................................4 Truman sTaTe universiTy Year-by-Year Leaders ..............................................................5 Location: Kirksville, Mo. Year-by-Year Summaries .........................................................6 Founded: 1867 Career Leaders ........................................................................7 Enrollment: 5,800 Single Game Bests - Team ......................................................8 Nickname: Bulldogs Colors: Purple and White Pershing Arena/Kirk Aud. Game Records ................................8 Arena/Capacity: Pershing Arena/ 2,400 Bulldogs In The Pros ................................................................9
    [Show full text]
  • Hr9065-00 Page 1 of 2 House Resolution 1 A
    FLORIDA HOUSE OF REP RESENTATIVE S HR 9065 2014 1 House Resolution 2 A resolution congratulating the Miami Heat Basketball 3 Team for winning its third National Basketball 4 Association Championship. 5 6 WHEREAS, on June 20, 2013, the Miami Heat won its third 7 National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship by defeating 8 the San Antonio Spurs at Miami, with a score of 95-88, in the 9 seventh game of the NBA Finals, and 10 WHEREAS, former Head Coach and current team president Pat 11 Riley led the team to its first championship in 2006, and 12 current Head Coach Erik Spoelstra led the team to back-to-back 13 championships in 2012 and 2013, and 14 WHEREAS, the Miami Heat entered the NBA as an expansion 15 franchise in the 1988-1989 season and has since won three NBA 16 Championships, four Eastern Conference Championships, and ten 17 division titles and has made a total of 17 playoff appearances, 18 and 19 WHEREAS, under the exemplary leadership of its coaching 20 staff, the Miami Heat, including LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, 21 Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Chris Andersen, Joel Anthony, Shane 22 Battier, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem, Juwan 23 Howard, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, and Jarvis 24 Varnado, united to form the 2013 championship team, and Page 1 of 2 hr9065-00 FLORIDA HOUSE OF REP RESENTATIVE S HR 9065 2014 25 WHEREAS, the Miami Heat's contributions extend well beyond 26 the basketball court, as the organization has grown to become an 27 integral part of the South Florida community through its public 28 service
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Influence: an Introduction
    NOTE: "The list below is available on the internet. A random sampling of the names were found to be generally accurate. Since the source is the internet, the reader is advised to also authenticate. The link is: http://www.subvertednation.net/jew-lists/ The below link from the Jewish Virtual Library contains many of the names identified on pages 36 – 38. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US- Israel/obamajews.html Jewish Influence: An Introduction We have been accused of having “Jew on the brain”; of being negatively obsessed with the Jews, and of being “anti-Semitic.” Yet Jewish influence over the affairs of the world are undeniably powerful, far out of proportion to their numbers. Their role in shaping public opinion through their media interests, and their mastering of the world of business and trade is pivotal to the world economy. As a group they are the most successful in terms of income and wealth and they have reached the highest echelons or the pinnacle of power in every field. Jews are the masters of Hollywood, they are the masters of all forms of media, radio, and television. They are masters of trade and commerce and banking, medicine, and law. The following lists we believe prove this reality. Jewish Lists The lists below are available on the internet. A spot check of several of the names found it to be generally accurate, though we cannot vouch for ALL of the names, and some titles may be out of date. The second list claims to be updated in 2012. They are followed by quotes on Jewish control.
    [Show full text]
  • Lebron Shows Maturity in Decision
    8C • SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2014 NBA OMAHA WORLD-HERALD NOTES LeBron shows maturity in decision BY JIM LITKE what’s worth saying after everything out of bringing a group together and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS that’s already been said? helping them reach a place they didn’t Just that the next chapter in James’ know they could go.” This isn’t Brett Favre or Joe Mon- story will turn out to be worth every Parse the entire statement if you tana, or any other over-the-hill star penny — if not quite every word — want. But everything you need to — insert your own favorite here — that’s been lavished on him. know is in those last two sentences. shopping teams in search of one last Going back home to try to win a When James announced the original hurrah. championship after what some of his decision in 2010, no athlete in histo- In the NBA, one supremely talented neighbors put him through takes real ry ever held so much sway over his individual can make a world of differ- guts. It’s what plenty of us wanted sport without winning a title fi rst. The ence. LeBron James proved as much James to do the fi rst time around: Be- only thing he could rightly claim to by carrying his team into fi ve of the have like a real king: Dig in his heels be the king of was hype, hypocrisy past seven NBA Finals. What’s going and redouble his effort to patch the and stacking the deck by lighting out to make this quest for a championship cracks in the foundation of a Cavaliers for South Beach to join superfriends in Cleveland the best sports story franchise that spent more than seven Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
    [Show full text]