As both sides sit on their hands in the stalled NBA labor negotiations and the clock ticks down to lost games and possibly a lost season, it's nearing time to find an alternative fix for you basketball jones. Some will lean on the NCAA, some will scour the internet for grainy feeds of the Euro leagues, I'll probably find myself in a high school gym or two...or maybe I'll see if I have enough frequent flyer miles to get myself to Vegas in September.
According to HoopsWorld, Impact Basketball is putting together
a league comprised of about 70 NBA players, to play under NBA rules in Las Vegas in September. The article lists a bunch of guys who have worked out with Impact, including Speights and Brackins, but the list of players who will actually play isn't available.
To me, this seems like a great idea, and I think the close ties impact has to big names in the NBA could lead to this being much more than the typical Las Vegas Summer League. Think Kevin Durant instead of Kyrie Irving as the marquee name.
With no end to this lockout in sight, you have to wonder if these games might even be televised. ESPN and TNT are going to have some time slots to fill.
"With no end to this lockout in sight, you have to wonder if these games might even be televised. ESPN and TNT are going to have some time slots to fill."
I've read that the networks are hesitant to televise any of this stuff for fear of pissing off the owners.
They should be pissed off at the owners. They paid a ton of money to televise these games and now they're getting nothing but big black holes in their programming for it.
You also have to wonder how long a network like TNT is going to keep paying their NBA guys if there are no games to televise.
I guess they could be worried that the owners/league will have a long memory when the next contract comes up and suddenly they'll look to other networks, or drive the price up, but I think the networks have the upper hand at this point.
I've read that the networks are hesitant to televise any of this stuff for fear of pissing off the owners.
The owners need the networks to air their games. If they get 'pissed' what are they going to do, refuse to put their games on national tv?
The lock out costs networks money and they have a right to get that money back.
Not sure these games would be any more fun to watch than Rucker park summer league games. All offense, no defense (and who coaches them?)
Good question about who would coach. Eddie Jordan is available.
Well all jokes aside, any non player who ever wants to work in the NBA on the 'other side' should not partake in this if it happens.
Black Balled
I'll be doing some scouting for the BFI
http://www.indiabasketball.org
2 days ago here on the Greek Island where the jaded one is staying for the first time saw someone wearing a sixers 9 jersey. It looked like a woman from Holland. Then yesterday I saw some kid wearing a sixers 9 jersey, 2 days in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Kenny Thomas jersey?
Also who is the "jaded one"?