Stern Claims NBA Labour Talks were ‘Open & Robust’

June 8, 2011

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and its players’ union will reconvene at a Dallas hotel for a second day of meetings about a new labor contract today, June 8, after league commissioner David Stern claimed that yesterday’s talks were ‘open and robust’.

With three weeks before the existing agreement expires, Stern admitted: “I won’t call it heated, but it was good and frank, open and robust. That’s a good thing.”

Stern and NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver took part in about five hours of discussions between almost all of the NBA’s 11-owner labor relations committee and the nine-player executive committee of the Player’s Association (NBPA).

Billy Hunter, executive director of the NBPA, left yesterday’s session without talking to reporters and union spokesman Dan Wasserman also declined to comment. NBPA executive committee members Roger Mason Jr. and Keyon Dooling said the union would comment after today’s talks.

It’s the second time discussions have taken place during the NBA Finals, which is tied at two games apiece after the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 86-83 last night.

The league and the union are arguing over how to divide more than US$4 bn in NBA revenue.