by Sam Riches/ @sam_riches
As if things weren’t bad enough, Antawn Jamison poured a little more salt in our lockout induced wounds this morning. The 12-year veteran entered the League during the lockout shortened ’98-99 season and he notes that this time around the League’s players are much more cohesive and well informed, but that unity won’t necessarily translate into a labor solution.
From the Associated Press:
“Nearing the end of his career and due one of the largest salaries in the league next season – about $15 million – Jamison would have plenty to lose if next season is wiped out. But Jamison insists there’s unity from the rookie draft picks to the league’s stars.
‘You’ve got the LeBron Jameses and the Dwyane Wades and all those guys who are really taking a stand and being a face of this movement,’ Jamison said. ‘I think back then we really didn’t have the superstars that were together as the superstars are now. I think it’s making a difference.’
Jamison said the NBA Players Association is already setting up gyms around the country where players will be able to work out and get instruction and treatment. He said players are constantly getting updates from the union and there was a strong push that started ‘three or four years ago’ to get players to save money and prepare for the worst.
[…]
Jamison feels this labor dispute will be different, and insists players have the will to sit out an entire season instead of giving in to the owners’ demands of salary rollbacks and a hard salary cap.
‘I understand when they say they’re losing money and so forth. I get that,’ Jamison said. ‘We said we’d give a certain amount of that money back. But some owners have to take the onus on themselves because they put themselves in a situation where they’re overpaying for certain guys.
‘We both have to look in the mirror and say, `We both have to take responsibility for this.’”
There appears to be no foreseeable solution on the horizon, and while no one wants the lockout to completely wipe out next season in its entirety, both the players and the owners appear to be willing to take that step in order to meet their demands.
