Stern says NBA projected to lose 400 mil a year

[pstall]

I haven't studied the #'s but that's pretty large amount of coin. They are talking of slashing rookie contracts by a 1/3. Lot's of changes potentially coming.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ApC01jf1RKlAedVwUNvbpd.8vLYF?slug=ap-all-star-stern&prov=ap&type=lgns

Legacy costs are finally catching up to even sports leagues now. Not good.

Also,

the total value of a maximum salary would drop sharply, as would the total years players could sign for, and the players would see a reduction in their share of the basketball-related income, of which they currently receive 57 percent.

[CarolinaPride5]

Sad news for the NBA. I would hate to see the league lose a couple teams too. I hope they can rebound!

[King Taharqa]

Stern is full of poo. DONT BELIEVE THIS!!!! This is Round 1 of Labor Negotiations. Stern is trying to sway public opinion that the owners are going broke.

[Darth Biscuit]

Just my opinions, but the NBA could help themselves tremendously by cutting the # of games, enforcing the actual rules of basketball, like traveling... and just making the game more interesting in a basketball sense and less of an entertainment show like it is now...

I would watch NBA if it was worth watching, right now, it's not.

[pstall]

KT believe me. I'm no fan of Stern at all. Without seeing actual reciepts and revenue etc I don't know yet. I do think 400 is pretty high. But, I think they may contract a team or two.

[ckad79]

Stern is full of poo. DONT BELIEVE THIS!!!! This is Round 1 of Labor Negotiations. Stern is trying to sway public opinion that the owners are going broke.

Why is it impossible... attendance and revenue were down last year. The NBA is saying that numbers have slightly improved this year, but when you look at these outrageous salaries and what Lebron will demand this summer -- it's scary.

Most of it is Stern's fault and how the NBA has marketed this sport. I really like the NFL, mainly because they do a good job or leveling the playing field making it anybody's game to win come the fall. The NBA always comes down to 2 or 3 teams, 5 ones that have a shot, and that's it. The rest are just fillers.

They could balance out the marketing and try to market the sport more as a whole than focus on 12 or 16 guys.

[Zaximus]

I always like when companies say they are "losing" this amount of money. It means they just aren't making as much as they were. The bad economy is taking its tole. The insane contracts, also are. But don't get all worried, it isn't as bad as they make it out to be.

Maybe if they got better refs, stopped giving certain players ALL the calls, people would watch it more and show up more. I know a lot of people that stopped watching NBA and only watch college basketball exclusively because of all the BS calls and rigged stuff in the NBA.

[Panthers128]

I really wouldn't feel bad if the NBA lost a billion dollars every year. It would be well deserved. The fiasco with the Charlotte Hornets and Seattle Supersonics hurt the image of the league in my opinion, two franchises that were highly popular and successful for large portions of the 80's and early 90's. Then you have the guaranteed money in contracts which handicaps teams for years. Throw in the fact there is basically no rules in place to keep the league competitive (constantly allowing lopsided trades, yet they make a rule so that the worse team in the league can't get the top pick?)

Just a joke of a league at times. Only thing that saves it for me is the players.

[ckad79]

I always like when companies say they are "losing" this amount of money. It means they just aren't making as much as they were. The bad economy is taking its tole. The insane contracts, also are. But don't get all worried, it isn't as bad as they make it out to be.

Maybe if they got better refs, stopped giving certain players ALL the calls, people would watch it more and show up more. I know a lot of people that stopped watching NBA and only watch college basketball exclusively because of all the BS calls and rigged stuff in the NBA.

The difference is, when a corporation is struggling they lay off 30,000 works and the CEO buys a yaught! When an NBA team is struggling, they hand out $200 million contracts!!! That's the difference..

As far as the refs giving certain players "calls". I agree to an extent. Larry said something to the media about it, and I thought to myself ---FINALLY, someone speaks up! It's often true - certain teams just don't get it and it seems like they don't get the calls they need.

BUT then every once in a while you're shocked - like when Orlando got past Cleveland last year. Go figure.. It was the last time I think I was shocked during a NBA playoff series. Of course, the expected team won it all and that's where it never changes.