With the NBA at a standstill because of the increasingly rancorous dispute between owners and players, a poll released on Monday found that 76 percent of Americans are getting along fine without the league.
Polling company Poll Position released the results of its telephone survey seven days after the scheduled start of the season on Nov. 1.
The respondents, a random sample of 1,179 registered voters nationwide, were asked: “With one week of no NBA basketball, do you find yourself missing the games?”
Overall, 76 percent said they were not missing NBA games, 12 percent were and 12 percent did not have an opinion.
The months-old dispute has already caused the NBA to cancel all of the games scheduled for this month.
NBA commissioner David Stern has said it would take a month to get games on court once a deal is done.
FAILED TALKS
Talks at the weekend failed to bring the sides together on the issue of how to divide about US$4 billion in revenue.
Stern indicated on Sunday that the league’s latest offer to give players up to 51 percent of basketball related income as part of a new collective contract would expire by today.
After that, the offer could drop to 47 percent for the players — who in turn were irked by what they called an ultimatum.
Prior to Saturday, the owners had offered a 50-50 split of basketball related income, while the players, who made 57 percent in the contract that expired on July 1, have been unwilling to accept less than 52.5 percent, resulting in a US$100 million annual income gap.
Players’ union officials said on Sunday that the latest league offer, in which players would receive 49 percent to 51 percent of basketball related income depending on revenue growth, would almost certainly leave them at a 50-50 split.
‘BAD GUY’
Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant, playing at a charity game organized by Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge on Sunday night, said the players felt they had been backed into a corner by owners “doing their best to make us look like the bad guy.”
Durant said he had heard from fans via Twitter who are “getting upset about it,” but that it would be more damaging to the league long-term if fans just do not care.
According to the survey, which was conducted on Sunday, those aged 18 to 29 miss the NBA the most, with 29 percent saying they are missing the games, while 53 percent said they were not and 18 percent had no opinion.
Among those aged 30 to 44, 83 percent said they did not miss the NBA.
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