NBA Draws Line in Sand, Announces ‘Final Offer’

Five hours of secret talks and a “final” offer from the commissioner didn’t do much.

With 1 1/2 weeks left until the possible cancellation of the season, NBA owners and players still can’t make a deal.

The opposing sides held a secret meeting--Commissioner David Stern called it an “attempt to salvage the season”--Sunday at a hotel outside Denver. It ended with the sides still apart on several key issues. No further talks are scheduled.

“I really don’t think there will be a season,” said Jeffrey Mishkin, the league’s chief legal officer. “We’ve gone as far as we can go. We’re done.”

The league improved its proposal in several areas, and the union offered further restrictions on the salaries of the highest-paid players.

“We advised the union that no further offers will be made,” Stern said.

Union director Billy Hunter said the league was “obviously in gloom-and-doom mode. That’s the spin they want to put on it.”

The league improved its offer in several areas:

* On the percentage of revenue to be shared with players, the league moved one point to 53% in year four, 53.5% in year five and 54% in year six.

* The league agreed to keep the $1 million exception in its current form, whereby it can be used once every two years to exceed the salary cap to sign an additional player.

* Owners agreed to the union’s proposed limit of a 10% escrow tax on player salaries in years four, five and six of the agreement.

* The NBA increased its proposed minimum and maximum salaries, with the biggest increases for players with between seven and nine years of experience.

* Owners offered a 25% raise for players under the rookie scale who have their option picked up for a fourth year.

“Unfortunately, this was not enough for the union,” Stern said.

The players changed their offer on a maximum salary to include all players with less than 10 years’ experience instead of seven years’ experience.

Hunter said the league refused to budge off many of its demands, including an end to opt-out clauses and sign-and-trade deals, changes to the group licensing agreement and a loss of Larry Bird rights for any player traded during the final year of his contract.

Winter Sports

High school senior Catherine Raney is emerging as one of the U.S. speedskating team’s possible medal contenders in 2002.

The 17-year-old from Elm Grove, Wis., who made her Olympic debut this year in Nagano, Japan, won the 3,000-meter race at the U.S. Allround Championships at West Allis, Wis.

Raney, the junior world-record holder at 3,000 meters (4 minutes 11.83 seconds), won with a time of 4:27.70, defeating Rebecca Sundstrom of Glen Ellyn, Ill., another 1998 Olympian, by 0.02 seconds.

Derek Parra of San Bernardino won the 5,000 in 6:47.97, nearly three seconds faster than Nick Pearson of Vernon, Wis., who finished in 6:50.40.

Cory Carpenter of Brookfield, Wis., won the men’s 500 in 37.41 and Sundstrom the women’s 500 in 40.50. Pearson was 0.06 behind Carpenter in the 500, and Elizabeth Ochowicz of Oconomowoc, Wis., finished second to Sundstrom at 41.40.

Norwegian skiers dominated a cross-country World Cup sprint event at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, with Tor Arne Hetland winning the men’s race and Bente Martinsen the women’s event.

Austria’s Anita Wachter, still recovering from a knee injury suffered in a crash last season, easily won a World Cup giant slalom race at Semmering, Austria, for her first triumph in nearly three years.

Teammate Alexandra Meissnitzer, the favorite and overall World Cup leader, finished a relatively distant second, 0.74 seconds behind Wachter’s time of 2 minutes 7.90 seconds.

Miscellany

A major step in the construction of the $350-million Staples Center is expected today with the installation of the super truss that will serve as the spine of the arena’s roof. Putting the roof in place on schedule is a key part of ensuring the arena will open next October in time to house the Kings, Lakers and Clippers.

If all goes as planned today, three cranes will lift and place two frames of steel girders and beams between the arena’s south wall and two temporary towers (or trusses) in the lower bowl of the arena. Three sets of towers will be built to temporarily support the 200,000-square foot roof.

When the entire roof structure is completed, the temporary towers will be removed and the roof will be allowed to settle 12 inches into its final location. The process is expected to be completed in April.

Frank Urban Zoeller Sr., the father of professional golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, died Saturday at Clarksville, Ind. He was 78.