Well, it looks like Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks will get a chance to defend their NBA title after all.
After a 15-hour marathon negotiating session, NBA owners and players reached a tentative labor agreement in the early morning hours of Saturday. The agreement ends the owners’ lockout and will result in a shortened 66-game season. Basketball fans will get a great Christmas present, as the first games of the season will tip off on December 25.
“We want to play basketball,” NBA commissioner David Stern said.
Much like the NFL after its contentious summer of labor negotiation, the key communicators in the basketball talks finally came together and made enough concessions to appease both sides. A majority of owners and of players will have to officially vote in favor of the agreement for it to be ratified and actually take effect, but leaders from both sides felt comfortable enough to give it the nod last night.
Players will report to training camps on December 9. Also on December 9, free agency for players not currently under contract with a team will begin. Unlike last summer’s free agent frenzy that had everyone wondering where LeBron James would go before he announced he was taking his talents to South Beach, super dunker Dwight Howard is the biggest name in a smaller pool of talent.