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NBA owners lock out frustrated fans

It's always about the money. The big business of professional sports has meant frequent battles between players and owners for a piece of the multimillion-dollar pie. The 2004 hockey lockout was the first in a decade, but over the years sports labour disputes have plagued professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey — resulting in shortened seasons and furious fans.

"It's a trend that I've seen years ago that started off in baseball, then moved to football and hockey and now it's basketball," one disenchanted fan tells CBC Radio. The National Basketball Association has imposed a lockout on its players since July. The main issue is money. Owners want a cap on players' salaries; players refuse. For the fans, it means no basketball games for a long while. 
. One day before the NBA's "drop dead" date to cancel the season, an agreement was reached, ending the 189-day lockout. In the end players and owners agreed to a "soft" salary cap and the league played a shortened 50-game schedule. A regular NBA season runs on an 82-game schedule.
. A "soft cap" refers to the maximum total team payroll that can be exceeded under certain circumstances.
. The lockout lasted from July 1, 1998 to Jan. 6, 1999.

. NBA players have the highest average salary in professional sports; around $3.3 million a year. NFL players average around $1.1 million and major-league baseball players earn an average of $1.8 million. (Associated Press 1999)
Medium: Radio
Host: Robin Brown
Duration: 3:13

Last updated: December 6, 2012

Page consulted on December 6, 2012

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