Inside story on NBA labor strife ahead

A friend of mine had the surprising privilege of a fairly lengthy visit with a very prominent NBA player a few weeks ago.

The conversation flowed into the looming NBA labor confrontation that is on the horizon for this summer and beyond. My friend concludes, in his words, "it’s a safe bet that some NBA players, including superstars, are already considering playing overseas if there is an NBA lockout next year." The player had himself acknowledged he was already looking into a European option.

The friend adds that it appears "the NBA is willing to follow the NHL’s game plan from years ago to lose an entire season if it means they can recreate their league regarding profits."

Stay tuned.

-- Craig Swalboski