ChrisMannixSI....... Pretty sure if David Stern uses the word "concepts" tonight an entire press core will pelt him with recorders.
sheridanhoops....... Live tweeting tonight from lockout talks in NYC. Sides have been talking for almost 5 hours. New player in the room today: Jim Dolan, Knicks
WojYahooNBA....... NBA has remained determined in talks today to reconfigure a system that allows for players to accept a 50-50 BRI split. league sources say.
Great sign reported from a fan outside the meeting: "We are the 53 percent". Steve Nash dropping knowledge on Twitter.
You know why you pay to play? Because you're not very good. You know why people pay to watch the NBA? Hint: it's because the players are good. You know how much money the owners would make off the teams with no players? Why do owners buy NBA teams? Do you honestly think it's to make money? And if they do, do you honestly want them as your owner? Because Donald Sterling worked out long ago that the simplest way to make money with his NBA team was to pay the absolute minimum. Owners whining about paying the players a lot of money are like Rolls Royce owners complaining about the mileage. (Of course, there's an easy way for the Owners to make money AND the players get paid well over 50%: revenue sharing. Jerry "sleazeball" Buss just got a TV deal worth BILLIONS that he gets even if there are no games. But he only got that because of the NBA. If it was just the Lakers playing rec teams, he wouldn't have got that deal. So fair's fair: fork over some of it to the other teams.)
NBPA source is hopeful that David Stern won't cancel the first two weeks of the season today. They're hoping the deadline gets pushed back.
NYTimes........ Two fire engines stopping in front of lockout hotel as season's first two weeks ready to go up in flames.
Person briefed on talks: Main items still in background. Trying to build deal from ground up. "Not close," he said. "But getting closer."