Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410280080
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
The NBA and its players' union announced a no-strike, no-lockout agreement Thursday, ensuring the 1994-95 season and playoffs will proceed uninterrupted by a work stoppage while the two sides work toward a new labor deal.
``We think the integrity of the game is the victor here,'' said Charles Grantham, executive director of the NBA Players Association.
However, both sides stressed they remain far apart on a new collective bargaining agreement, particularly on the issue of a salary cap. The old agreement expired in June.
``This is not an assurance or a promise, but a statement of good-faith intention by two sides that, however they may bang away at each other, have always been capable of making good-faith efforts,'' said David Stern, the NBA's commissioner.
Under a complex agreement signed by Stern and Grantham minutes before a scheduled public announcement, teams will have until Nov.8 to renegotiate or extend existing contracts, but unsigned rookies will face no signing deadline.
Two lawsuits brought against the NBA will be stayed until the end of the 1995 NBA Finals.
Jerry Colangelo, president of the Phoenix Suns, praised the league and the union for their ``sensitivity to the fans.''
``I, personally, was confident throughout the process that an accommodation would be reached,'' he said.
NBA owners proposed the deal this week, and the players immediately expressed interest, deputy commissioner Russ Granik said. But the league told Grantham on Wednesday that owners would meet Monday in Chicago and vote on a lockout if a deal wasn't reached.
Grantham denied the threat of a lockout prompted the union to agree to a deal.
``We were planning for a lockout, so it's not an issue where we heard what they said yesterday and reacted,'' he said. ``We both looked at each other's problems and came up with what we considered were solutions that gave neither party an edge.''
The union lost an antitrust suit against the league challenging the salary cap, the college draft and restricted free agency. The case is under review by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, but no retrial could be held until the agreement expires.
Further complicating the issue was a suit filed by David Wood of Golden State and Howard Eisley of Minnesota charging this season's salary cap had been reduced artificially by $74 million. That suit will be put on hold.
Both sides acknowledged the acrimonious labor disputes in baseball and hockey created a difficult negotiating atmosphere.
Baseball players went on strike Aug.12, forcing the cancellation of the World Series for the first time since 1904. NHL owners rejected a no-strike offer from their players and have delayed their season indefinitely.
``We're operating in a very hostile environment in professional sports,'' Grantham said. ``That's made it very difficult, but we had to narrow in and focus on what are the realistic concerns in our sport. When you come right down to it, that's what made this particular agreement possible.''
But neither Stern nor Grantham could guarantee a deal would be reached by the end of the playoffs.
``The most assurance I can give you is Charlie and I have taken out our calendars'' and plan to schedule talks in a ``matter of days,'' Stern said.
And Grantham hammered away at his opposition to the salary cap.
``We're hopeful that during these hard-fought negotiations that `Easy David' here will understand at some point that the salary cap is unnecessary,'' he said.
Stern had dubbed himself ``Easy David'' this month when he declared the league open to negotiate any aspect of the expired bargaining agreement, including the cap.
But Stern, like the owners for whom he works, is committed to preserving the cap, which the league adopted in 1983.
The league wants to close loopholes in cap rules, such as the opt-out provisions that have allowed some players to re-sign for more money after one year and huge balloon payments tacked on to the end of long-term contracts.
by CNB