Archive: September, 2011
That's the vibe coming from both sides of the NBA lockout: the month of September will be a (hopefully) meeting-filled grind. After Wednesday's bargaining session in New York, both the player's representatives and owners' reps dropped the public rhetoric, but vowed to meet more frequently as the NBA season is, quite quickly, in jeopardy. According to player rep Derek Fisher, the two sides are still far apart philosophically, but if bargaining sessions are scheduled with more frequency than the last two (which were a month apart), perhaps some of this ground can be covered. NBA commissioner David Stern has yet to set any deadlines, but in about two weeks, it'll be impossible not to.
NBA camps are scheduled to begin Oct. 1. The regular season schedule is set to begin Nov. 1. If the 1998 lockout is any indication, the league needs about three weeks (a set free agency period, at least a week of camp, a couple of pre-season games) to jumpstart the season. That means we're looking at-around a Oct. 10-ish deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement if the league wants to start on time. During the 1998 lockout, the "drop-dead date" for losing the entire season was set at Jan. 7, so it's safe to assume that if it gets to that point, a similar date would be set.
Also, I caught up today with Sixers coach Doug Collins. Just as a reminder, there's some intense rules right now regarding coaches and team officials talking with and about players. So, if you're wondering why we're not talking about the players, that's why! Collins has spent a good portion of his summer in San Diego, but also spent time in Philly during the 2011 NBA Draft, to be present during player workouts. We'll have a more detailed article later this week about Collins' summer, but just as an update, here's one thing Collins said:
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
