Readers Won’t Have Opinions Locked Out

Do NBA owners and players really believe fans with any sense of loyalty are going to come back, bowing and scraping, when these “conquering heroes,” with their pockets stuffed with wads of cash, come striding up to the podium? “OK, everybody! Everything is all good now! We got our money and now come back so we can get the rest! We promise we’ll play real nice for you all . . . unless of course one of us can’t afford that sixth Ferrari.”

Maybe these owners and players are smarter than we think they are and maybe they know that because basketball is such a fast-paced game, we’ll all be itching to turn it on when the season starts . . . whenever it starts.

I don’t know what’s going to happen . . . and to be particularly honest, I don’t care. I’d rather wait for the Dodgers and baseball season to start over before I have to watch another one of Shaq’s monster dunks for the 40 billionth time. In the meantime if I want basketball, I’ll support my UCLA Bruins.

ERIC MOORE, Los Angeles

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The good news about the cancellation of the first two weeks of the NBA season is that it will be the longest Shaq will ever go without missing a free throw, the Forum ice will be better for the Kings, and the Clippers will still be in playoff contention.

The bad news is that, while these zillionaires fight over how to divide a pile of money big enough to run a small country, hard-working ushers and food-service folks and parking lot attendants and janitors are out of jobs they depend on. Has anyone in those negotiations thought of them?

MEL POWELL, Los Angeles

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I have a solution for the NBA labor dispute: How about increasing ticket prices, giving these whining millionaires more dough and further enraging the previously dedicated fans. I don’t know how or when basketball will recover from this debacle, especially without a home run record.

MATT ROSENFELD, San Marino

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Facetiously, my friends ask me if I can get them courtside seats. They ask me when Donald Sterling will have a winning team. They ask me when Kurt Rambis will coach the Lakers.

Now, seriously, they glare at me.

It’s not easy having a famous namesake.

DAVID STERN, Marina del Rey