Tueday Bolts – 11.22.11
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wonders why no one has picked up the phone: “In a media briefing Monday to announce that the players have consolidated and refiled two separate antitrust claims into one class action in Minnesota, attorney David Boies lamented the slow response and virtual silence from the NBA since the actions were first filed last Tuesday. In fact, he scoffed at the league’s response — delivered to reporters via email from NBA counsel Rick Buchanan, and not commissioner David Stern — as evidence for why making a phone call to begin settlement talks would be “a waste of time.” “I think they’ve made pretty clear, including by the statement that they just made, that they’ve got no interest in talking to us,” Boies said at his Manhattan office. “It takes two people to negotiate.” But it only takes one person to pick up the phone and dial a number to get the ball rolling.”
Kevin Durant, the Drake of the NBA: “Last month Oklahoma City Thunder social network sports star Kevin Durant was rapping onstage with teammate Russell Westbrook. This month, Durant took his flow into the recording studio where he spit a verse over the Kanye West/Jay Z beat from Watch the Throne, “Gotta Have It”, with Dave East (@Dave_East).”
One fan’s view – WHEN there’s a season (See my optimism?): “Regardless of what side you’re on when the water cooler talk takes a turn toward the NBA lockout, deep down there’s only one thing that matters. We want basketball. After hashing out the details of BRI, maximum contract lengths and the proposed transformation of the NBDL system with my coworkers enough times to induce our collective gag reflex, I’ve decided to start talking about the NBA season as if I were sure that a deal just got done. I know this is wishful thinking, but I’m a basketball fan, and this lockout is killing me. College basketball is great – I’m not belittling the NCAA men’s game at all, it is great, and usually more fundamentally sound – but there’s always been something about the athleticism and excitement that the pro game brings. There’s plenty of room here in denial, today we’re talking why the Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to play for the Larry O’Brien trophy in the 2011-12 season.”
