Nick Parkhaev’s article on the NBA lockout has not only intrigued myself as avid basketball fan, but millions across the world as we watch to wait and see how this shocking story unfolds. It is not uncommon for lockouts to occur, as the NHL (National Hockey League) and NFL (National Football League). For those uncertain of what a lockout refers to in a sports league, it means that the players and owners cannot come to an agreement as to how much each party will earn from revenues generated by the league.

Unfortunately as Mr. Parkhaev noted, it is not as simple as a 50/50 split otherwise the games would have been underway in an instance. The players are demanding 57% (accounted for $4 billion last year) but the owners are unwilling to budge from their initial offer of 46%. However, something we need to understand is that it’s beyond the players and owners. There are going to be many employees laid off from ushers to restaurant workers of the arenas. This is not good news for an American economy that has already heard enough about unemployment. It is definitely one of the most bizarre and unexpected lockouts in sports history. Players are demanding salaries they would never be paid regardless of their talent, and owners would be losing more which is not why they invested in their team. It will be interesting to see how this story will continue, but to all of my fellow NBA fans out there, don’t be surprised if there is absolutely no basketball this season.

(Image from Google)