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Update: NBA Lockout Fires Up Twitter, Again

Yesterday, the NBA Players Association rejected the latest offer from the NBA owners, and as a result, there’s a very real chance we won’t be seeing any NBA basketball for the foreseeable ...
Update: NBA Lockout Fires Up Twitter, Again
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  • Yesterday, the NBA Players Association rejected the latest offer from the NBA owners, and as a result, there’s a very real chance we won’t be seeing any NBA basketball for the foreseeable future, as, yet again, grown men failed to figure out a way to divide over $4 billion among themselves. While this is beyond a “whose side are you on” discussion, the desire to place blame — for those who are still following these shenanigans — still exists.

    If you listen to NBA Commissioner David Stern, it’s the players fault. If you listen to the players, it’s the owners’ fault, and while that makes for entertaining arguments, it’s the fans who are actually losing here. Not the owners and not the players. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop the Stern from throwing the players under the bus:


    But, if the now-rejected CBA was so great for the players, why on earth would Ball Don’t Lie write something like this?

    “The NBA’s terrible offer, and the Players Association’s response”

    Which features perhaps the best take on the NBA lockout I’ve read, at least from a perspective of rationality:

    These owners aren’t bullies. They’re apathetic. They’re uncaring about the thousands of lives they’re affecting just in their own region in terms of lost income. They’re certainly not concerned with the millions of fans that want NBA basketball back. They’re as greedy as anyone, haggling over ridiculous minor items after the Players Association has given in hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars worth of concessions. They can’t even throw the players a few bones, so to speak, in eliminating those relatively minor items while the players give in. And they’re geniuses in leaving the great unwashed to think, “50/50? Sounds about right.” [Emphasis added]

    One wonders why Stern doesn’t address things like what the bold text points out when he’s blaming the players association for everything wrong in the NBA today? Another story for another day, apparently. Needless to say, once the players rejected the latest offer, Twitter blew up with tons of reaction, a lot of it from the players themselves.

    The first one nails it perfectly:

    That awkward moment when the NBA now stands for ‘Not Ballin’ Anymore.’ #nonba 19 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    So what does this mean going forward? Lost money and European contracts, apparently:

    International clubs look to make a run at NBA’s elite– we will see a ton of guys jump over within the next week or so– wild ride ahead 9 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Today is the 1st day of NBA players missing paychecks. The avg NBA player will lose $220,000 today. 37 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    The sad thing is, in relation to professional sports, a quarter of a million dollars is almost chump change. Three cheers for hitting the genetic lottery, right? Perhaps this is bad of me, but one of the things I’m enjoying about the reaction are all the “hey, maybe my favorite player will respond to me on Twitter” tweets, or those “I have no idea about what’s going, but since everyone else is talking about the NBA, I should too,” posts, like so:

    @henryian33 there better be a #NBA season! Hopefully the #lockout is over soon! 22 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    @RajonRondo when will they get this lockout deal done? #LockOut #NBA 13 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    Um, Earl, I hate to break it to you, but Rondo has no more of an idea about when the lockout ends than you do. So what are all the players doing now that there won’t be pay-for-play basketball for the foreseeable future? Tweeting, apparently, and they don’t seem really supportive of the owners or Stern, either:

    Bluff called. Nobody wins. Reshuffle the deck and lets try again…. 8 hours ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    These sports updates on the ticker are blowing my mind. I use 2 think all grown ups were suppose 2b smart but they clearly aren’t 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    Someone tell billy hunter we should of done this shit in July wtf 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    Goodnight…. Sad day for our everyone affiliated with the NBA, NBPA and our Fans… Hope we can save the season somehow 17 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® · powered by @socialditto

    I appreciate those who support us in this time of injustice w/ this NBA stuff we will stand strong together & be unified as 1 #EndTheLockOut 17 hours ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    We the players want a fair deal, we have given in a lot… we can’t say the same thing for everyone. I keep my hopes up #NBAlockout 18 hours ago via Twitter for iPad · powered by @socialditto

    Some players are trying to figure out what to do with all this free time they have now, and it looks like college admissions will be going up around the country:

    Is this #lockout really happening right now? I’m getting bored. I think it’s time to go back to school and finish that degree. 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    I’m bouta try n finish school… 17 hours ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    Might as well go ahead an get my masters…. 15 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    However, some are aiming a little lower:

    “Hello, may I take your order?” Just getting practice in now. 14 hours ago via Tweetings for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    Others are just mad their “I’m in the NBA” cache is temporarily not available:

    Groupies know we don’t have a job … Now we can’t use “I play in the nBA” as a pick up line 18 hours ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    What about Ron Artest? What’s he been up in the face of not being having the NBA? About what you’d expect:

    Great time with @Sungevity on handing out ice pops and encouraging people to get free solar home iQuotes at sungevity.com. 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    I would really want to take a fan to the twilight premiere with me. But I’m afraid yal don’t want to go 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    In light of the “no NBA” idea, here’s something positive concerning the sport of basketball:

    Who needs #NBA when you have Duke-MSU, Ohio St.-Florida, & Kentucky-Kansas all great games. These matchups feature nearly 20 future NBAers. 2 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    But I’ll end this laundry list of tweets with some much-needed perspective:

    The NBA & owners are selfish…millionaires arguing over $ While the regular workers won’t b able 2 put food on the table bcuz of no season 2 hours ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    Any thoughts when/if we’ll be seeing the NBA again? Do you even want it to return? Let us know what you think.

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