Money, money, money … it’s a complicated thing in professional sports. But when leagues like the NBA start losing dough, bad things can happen for everyone. And that bad thing is called a “lockout."
The 2011 NBA season has locked out their players and there may be a shortened season or perhaps no season at all unless the players and owners make a deal on who gets what money.
What is a Lockout?
A lockout is when the owners of the League stop the season because they are losing money instead of making money. So when the players refuse to take a pay cut in their salaries, a big huge lock is put on their locker room doors and nobody is allowed to play.
Here is the step-by-step process of an average lockout:
- The Championship game is played and the season ends
- All the players go to Disneyland … Woohoo!
- The owners sit at home and do some math. (Millions – Millions = I can’t afford that yacht anymore)
- A bunch of angry phone calls are made
- The owners tell the president they are going bankrupt, and they’re not playing Monopoly
- The only solution is to lower the players salaries
- The players have contracts so they don’t have to agree
- The owners refuse to let them play (LOCKOUT)
- Now both the players and owners are losing money
- They have meetings to negotiate what is fair
- They kiss and make up
The big problem is that the NBA fans aren’t spending money on basketball anymore. Since 2008, millions of Americans have lost their jobs and some of those people were basketball fans. They can’t afford to go to the games anymore, so that is a big reason why the NBA is losing money.
Have Your Say!
What do you think the NBA should do to stop losing money? Should the owners pay their players less? Should they raise ticket prices? Should they lower ticket prices? Have your say in the comments below!
