Gary Sheffield, Jr
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Marc Stein reported this morning that a potential 50-game season would reduce player salaries “significantly” and the players are starting to fight back. Lakers forward Jared Dudley has been vocal on Twitter about his desire to extend the season to 72-games. This would allow players to receive full-pay for the 20-21 season. Who wouldn’t want that?
Can’t play 50 games .. Thats a hard no for the players! Has to be a min of 72.. the real question is what change in a week? The league kept saying January January.. Everybody knew how big Christmas was and Olympics being late July months ago.. TV just mentioned it now?? https://t.co/JSQdY3sTXz
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) October 30, 2020
With “physicians” like Dr. Fauci in favor of mask mandates across the United States, there’s no telling when the NBA will put fans in the stands. We know the science says that COVID has a 98% recovery rate, but that didn’t stop the NBA from disallowing fans this season. So why should fans expect NBA commissioner Adam Silver to suddenly react to science when he’s already shown he’ll deny the data? Fans and NBA players both have no idea what it’s going to take to feel comfortable that fan revenue will be a part of the 20-21 season. That’s why a 50-game season would never come included with full pay. Can’t promise a full salary when fans may or may not be there. After all, fan attendance are the reason owners pay these guys the big bucks anyway.
Jared Dudley is tweeting now because the NBA is thinking about starting the season in time for their “Christmas” launch. Christmas Day is their most watched day of the year, so that’s their agenda right now. If they have to start the season after just a two month break for teams like the Lakers–so be it. Dudley is trying to make sure they don’t shorten the season to accommodate for the short break. He knows Adam Silver will sell the shortened season as caring about “player health”, while skimping player salaries for a lack of games.
Shady business.
Something’s gotta give
We saw Damian Lillard threaten not to play when the NBA bubble opened if a “play-in” tourney wasn’t added, then it was. Now we see Jared Dudley standing up for the players and the salaries they’ve played their whole careers for. A fight to extend the season, but also legitimizing the 20-21 year that baseball fans didn’t feel with their 60-game season could. This is a stand-off to see who can grab the pile of cash first between NBA players and league owners. Here’s the difference:
NBA players earned their expected contracts, while NBA owners are looking to reverse what’s already been agreed upon. Jared Dudley is speaking for more than himself on this one.
Not watching or supporting in any way
You can’t even have fun gambling on NBA anymore (especially DFS) because of the load management decisions that aren’t even announced until one minute before tip off. NBA regular season is the worst. Fuck that shit. Maybe if they behave I’ll watch some playoff games. Fucking sick of NBA bitching about everything.
It begins, vastly undereducated players an their I’ll informed reps didn’t count on actual fans walking away. Their numbers will only get worse. The exact wrong follow up note would be bitching about salay. They thought no fans and ratings coupled with a shortened schedule would lead to anything but pay cuts?
How about a zero game schedule?
Wow…possible pay cuts, hmmm. The elevator can go to the basement, too…not just to the penthouse. Jared Dudley (I’m guessing he wasn’t an economics major) and Dame DOLLA want their bucks…and Dame doesn’t think it matters whether he plays or not. Jared’ll play 72 games to get his money, even if nobody’s watching. If nobody’s watching then nobody cares…nobody cares means you guys can go get some kind of “real” job, if you can find one, because sponsors ain’t spending big bucks for schoolyard hoops. Salaries in the brave new NBA won’t pay for your mansions, but least you’ll be able to get oil changes for your SUVs. Hasta la vista, douchebags!
Awesome.
Their best chance is to recover is to play more games, not sit out for load management, and stick to the basketball stories. I know it is a bit of “shut up and dribble,” but I think they have had their day to speak and it hasn’t been helpful to the league nor themselves nor their families’ futures. Reality is slowly setting in.
Defund the NBA! Who has the power to do do the defunding? Oh it’s us, so I’ll do my part, and it’s the people at the lower levels working for the league and these teams being destroyed by the owner’s and athlete’s. Lebron won a trophy and will get substantial pay cuts for everyone,
The NBA should be 50 games every year, its the way you save your sport. You eliminate load management, and you play like a professional athlete (with real effort) for every minute you’re on the court, rather than the extended layup line/shootaround that the first 3 quarters of regular season NBA basketball is now.
While the rest of America deals with paycuts, including medical professionals who were treating COVID19, we can’t possibly ask professional basketball players to miss a beat. They have a fleet of Escalades to look after and bling to buy for themselves and their boos.
The NBA has alienated a large percentage of their former fans here in the USA in favor of BLM and China money and they aren’t coming back.I personally look forward to the players having to take less money and the woke owners losing revenue.
Load management says they don’t want to play 72….just get paid for 72
They should play all games in China next season!