Stern Issues Labor Plea

Eighteen days before the scheduled start of his lockout, Commissioner David Stern issued a plea over the head of union leader Billy Hunter to the players, warning them to avoid “a mistake of epic proportions.”

“We read that somehow the owners, the labor relations committee and we want a lockout,” said Stern at a news conference before Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals. “I assure you that is not the case. We have worked too hard to want that.

“I am saying here today, the last thing we want is a lockout. We wanted to negotiate and the last thing we want is a lockout and we don’t understand that rhetoric that’s been coming out” from the NBA Players. Assn. and “that’s been repeated” by reporters, Stern said.

“You know,” he added, “I tell you what, we have seen the damage that a lockout can do across the board, the fans, sponsors, licensees, network partners and the like. Our fear, given who we are, given our life’s experience in the NBA, that our business will slip away from us faster than even some other sports. And [if] that’s the case, then I’m not in good conscience going to sit in front of owners trying to get in front of a train to say, you know, it’s OK, we’ll make the same deal that we were willing to make before all of this damage to your business occurred. I’m not going to do it ...

“The price that the owners are willing to pay to keep the peace is, I think, justifiably, high, and they are willing to pay it. But if the peace doesn’t hold, if for reasons that we are having trouble understanding, we can’t get the deal done, then it’s going to be a new game.”

Stern broke off talks in May, claiming the union had pulled back from an agreement to shorten long-term contracts from seven to five years. Stern says the league has since gone to six years. The two sides got back together but narrowed no differences. No further talks are scheduled.

-- Mark Heisler

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Bill Laimbeer, coach of the WNBA’s Detroit Shock, acknowledged that he recently met with New York Knick President Isiah Thomas about the possibility of coaching the team.

Thomas also has met with Phil Jackson and others.

From Associated Press