The long-delayed NBA season will start early next month after the billionaire owners and their millionaire players yesterday reached a deal to save what remains of the 1998-99 season.
The deal was struck between the NBA commissioner David Stern, on behalf of the owners, and the players' union head Billy Hunter after a secret all-night bargaining session in New York. The two sides shook hands on the draft deal at 6 a.m. yesterday, a day before the NBA governors were scheduled to vote on cancelling the season.
The two sides still need to approve the deal but the initial reaction among players was favourable to making an agreement.
The NBA season was originally scheduled to start at the beginning of November. Yesterday's deal, if accepted, means that the season will consist of half of the scheduled 80-plus games for each club for a full season.
There were few details yesterday of the compromises that unlocked the dispute, which had centred on owners' demands to set a maximum salary of $12.25 million for players with 10 years' experience. The players' union wanted a $15 million cap.
NBA players have the highest average salary in American professional sport, $2.6 million. NFL American football players average about $900,000 a year.
"I wouldn't blame the fans if they didn't come back," said Jeff Hornacek of the NBA club Utah Jazz. "Neither side is coming out of this thing looking good."
