They’ve Got a Skeleton in Closet

So much for that era of good feeling . . .

Either to show his players are still fighting mad, to quell restive agents or speaking sincerely--you can’t discount the possibility, even in a labor dispute--Billy Hunter declared last week’s agreement on the “skeleton” of an agreement to end the NBA lockout null and void. The NBA season was to have started today.

“It’s been reported . . . there was a strong possibility that there would be an agreement reached this week between us and the NBA,” the National Basketball Players Assn. director said Monday in a hastily arranged conference call.

“I don’t know where the information came from that served as the basis of that representation, but I can indicate to you now that I don’t see any possibility at all of us reaching an agreement this week and I can’t tell you how soon we will reach one. But I thought it was important, at least, to get that message out there. . . .

“In fact, they [NBA owners] had one understanding [on the outlines of a plan] and we had another. . . . Unfortunately, we’re just not on the same page. I guess the best you could say was there’s been a miscommunication somewhere.”

Obviously, but where?

Even some labor sources were mystified by Hunter’s comments. Negotiations broke off Wednesday after the early-week thaw, but union officials reported no bad news going into the weekend.

There were no sessions over the weekend and only the lawyers met Monday, to work on details. Lawyers aren’t usually authorized to make policy changes so there’s skepticism about Monday’s meeting changing things dramatically.

Sunday may have been more to the point. Super-agent David Falk, who’d been silent, came out firing, demanding Commissioner David Stern lift the lockout, suggesting reprisals (“I’ve got the power to combat whatever starvation tactics the league employs.”)

Union officials were dismayed at Falk’s comments. Said one, asked about it: “Oh God.”

For his part, Hunter took the ostrich approach, saying he was unaware of Falk’s comments, though it’s not very likely the New York-based director of a union could have missed the lead story in the New York Times.

Says another agent: “We suspect this [Hunter’s comments] had something to do with Falk, based on that article and the fact he’s been quiet so long.”

Of course, Falk, a firm believer in winning by intimidation, could have legitimately been dismayed at the union’s conduct last week.

While Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik kept their poker faces and continued preparing owners for the worst, union officials all but celebrated the thaw in public, Hunter pronouncing himself “optimistic” for the first time, hawk counsel Jeff Kessler noting “significant” progress. That was where a lot of that “information which served as the basis of that representation” came from.

By week’s end, New York Post columnist Pete Vecsey was predicting a quick settlement, and several players were saying the same thing publicly (the Knicks’ John Starks was the latest, on CNBC on Monday), further dismaying the union.

The league has come up to 50% on the revenue split and the union down to 60%, so they still have work to do and need all the public relations and leverage they can muster.

A deal at 55% would seem simple, but both sides are going to have to suffer before they arrive at any agreement.

“Fifty-two is a walk in the park and I think the league will allow itself to be pulled to 53, kicking and screaming,” said a source close to negotiations. “David [Stern] says no way he’s going to 55.”

For their part, union officials are afraid Falk, who speaks for Michael Jordan and most of the players’ elected leaders, won’t sit still for anything below 55%.