NBA Lockout Begins, Bulls to Lose Scalarbine to Europe
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jul 1, 2011 2:00PM
We now have half of our major pro sport leagues halted, as the NBA now joins the NFL with players and owners pitted against each other in major labor disputes. The NBA owners locked out the players at midnight after the two sides were unable to reach a deal on a collective bargaining agreement before the old agreement expired.
With the two sides still far apart on just about every issue under consideration, many expect the NBA's stoppage to be lengthy and could jeopardize the 2011-12 season. Said league commissioner David Stern in recommending the lockout to the owners, "The goal here has been to make the league profitable and to have a league where all 30 teams can compete." The league contends that 22 of 30 teams lost money this season.
As such, the owners want to reduce players' overall portion of league revenue from its current 57 percent, which would trim hundred of millions in salary from the players. Owners further want to institute a more firm salary cap on teams and remove contract guarantees. While the players have offered some concessions, their offer remains far apart from the owners' proposal. The players, for example, offered to reduce their share of the pie to 54 percent... the owners want it cut to 40 percent. With a gulf that large, no season is a real possibility, as both sides dig in their heels.
With the uncertainty of when the players can return to the court and whether they'll next be able to collect paychecks, some are exploring other options. One likely defection to Europe is the Bulls' Brian Scalarbine. Among the most popular players in spite of his limited on-court time, the "ginga ninja" was more cheerleader and coach than player. And yet any time the Bulls had a big lead, the crowd chanted for coach Tom Thibodeau to insert Scalarbine in to the game. But with his career winding to end and the lockout causing so much uncertainty, Scalarbine has a plan, "[A]t the end of the day, with two years or so left of playing basketball, I'm not interested in watching billionaires fight. I just like the game too much. I like the camaraderie. I like to play. So why not do it in a great city in Europe and educate my family?" Italy seems Scal's most likely destination, and he is even considering Italian citizenship. Italy's gain will certainly be the Bulls' loss. "We're going to do it up right," he said. "It's going to be a good city with good schools. I'll order my Rosetta stone, learn the language and do it up right."