Old School Pic of the Week 10.29

NBA is back! After 149 days of anger, contempt and greed, the NBA lockout is no longer, and you will not find a happier individual than Delonte West me. Between the agents' attempted mutiny against Billy Hunter, Dwyane Wade's verbal assault of David Stern, Micky Arison's $500k fine for spilling the beans on negotiations, and the NBA's threat of a "nuclear winter," it's more than fair to say the road to this point has been a bumpy one.

However, of the countless developments throughout the NBA Lockout saga (The Nuclear Autumn, if you will) the most surprising was Michael Jordan's emergence as the most adamant hardline owner attempting to screw over the players. This was particularly surprising because -- as you may or may not be aware -- Michael Jordan used to play a bit of ball himself.

I'm no lawyer, no economist, hell, I'm not even a motivational speaker, but I am willing to bet that if you let me bring a 6' x 4' blowup of the image below to the negotiating table I solve the lockout in three hours tops. There's honestly no way MJ could cause a scene, demanding a 47/53 split of revenue while he's staring down a bigger than life version of himself silently but continually insisting, "Hey, we should all totally, like, just get along and be friends, man." 

Worth noting: the new collective bargaining agreement has a mutual opt-out in 6 years. Holler at me in 2017, players' union; I'll keep this photo on file.

Court adjourned.

Old School Pic of the Week 10.25

It's tough to know what's really going on with the NBA lockout. First there's a huge gulf between the parties, one day we've almost got a new CBA, and next thing you know  the sides are no longer on speaking terms.

After relying on sound bites from the NBA and union to try to make sense of this ordeal, this week the world had the opportunity to hear from head of the NBPA, Billy Hunter, on Bill Simmons' podcast.

Sure, Hunter revealed some interesting stuff about the negotiations: the bias towards owners in the media, divisions between the small-market and large-market owners, and Mark Cuban's proposed elimination of the salary cap to name a few. But the real news was the shocking revelation that David Stern and Hunter were in fact fraternity brothers in Sigma Alpha Mu back in their college days. 

Which got me thinking, is there a better pair of frat brothers to feature in an Old School Pic of the Week than the high-flying duo of Hakeem The Dream and Clyde The Glide from University of Houston's prestigious Phi Slamma Jamma?

I think not.

But don't think the story ends there. The metaphorical significance of this photo -- I'm looking at you, Hunter and Stern -- is that former fraternity brothers, though they may split up and compete against each other for many years (Houston vs. Portland), can still reunite and achieve great things ('95 NBA Champions).

Court adjourned.

Old School Pic of the Week: 8/2

Unlike the NFL, that just reached a labor agreement, things aren't exactly looking up for professional basketball the at the moment. Both the NBA and the NBA Player's Association (NBPA) have filed complaints to the National Labor Relations Board claiming the opposing party has not "bargained in good faith." The NBA then filed another lawsuit in federal court that seeks to void existing player contracts if the union chooses to decertify and countersue.

It is easy to lose faith that NBA action will soon return when use of jargon like decertification and countersue outnumber the dunks, screens, or passes.  But all hope is not lost, and this week's photo proves it. 

This shot from the 1988 NBA Finals shows heated rivals Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas setting aside their differences and finding harmony in the sweet, sweet game of basketball. NBA and NBPA, I hope you're taking notes.

*Potentially Ominous Sign: In the years since this photo, Magic and Isiah's relationship has soured considerably. Both Thomas' rumored questioning of Magic's sexuality and Magic's emphasis on keeping Isiah off the 1992 Dream Team have fueled the quarrel. Let's hope the NBA situation ends more cordially.

Court adjourned.