Sunday November 13 2011 – 10:35pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

The NBA took to Twitter on Sunday evening … answering questions from fans, media, and players on the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement offer that has been presented by the Owners to the Union.

Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver tackled the Q & A and offered a unique insight into what Billy Hunter, Derek Fisher, and the PA is dealing with right now … as they face their ‘vote’ (some time) tomorrow.

Believe what you want … decide for yourself if the answers are genuine or not … but nobody can deny that this “Twitterview” (as the league termed it) was a fantastic public relations coo.

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(FYI – read from BOTTOM to TOP for the most accurate display of how the questions were asked and answered)

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@NBA – We want our players and teams to do well and we hope our proposal is accepted. Good night.

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@NBA – Thank you for participating. There is a fair deal on the table that will allow the season to start on December 15.

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@NBA – No mandate to operate unprofitably
@sam_amick - Don’t teams that received public funding for arenas to be built have a responsibility to their communities to continue operations?

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@NBA – Every team will have least 500 tickets for $10 or less for every game this season
@Lakeshow31 – what about lowering ticket costs and making attending games more affordable for fans during a tough economy?

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@NBA – All league executives are taking pay cuts in addition to over 300 job cuts across the league
@Mrljd05 – How about Mr. Stern and Mr. Silver both take equal pay cuts that the players are taking? Would show some shared sacrifice right?

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@NBA – Raising payroll floor improves competition among all teams
@theRealHrdlicka – How is raising each team’s payroll floor a concession when the OVR BRI drops? Seems to me, that helps owners w/higher payrolls.

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@NBA – Restricting taxpayers makes more talent available to other teams
@MrMichaelLee – How does a system set up to restrict tax paying teams actually help bad teams get better?

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@NBA – If decertification occurs, players’ contracts would become void
@bagsack – If decertification of the Union occurs, will players’ current contracts become void?

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@NBA – NBA would suffer enormous losses with no season; losses much greater without a fair agreement
@darrenrovell – You said you lost a total of $300M last season. How much would teams collectively lose with no season?

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@NBA – Teams suffering enormous losses; no choice but to recover if season does not start soon.
@mcten – Explain why you will revert to an alternative, lesser deal if the current offer isn’t accepted.  How is that bargaining in good faith?

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@NBA – Spending & competitive balance are closely related. A fair agreement deals with both.
@kevincote – Why kill the season for tax/cap rules when spending & competitive balance are not related? Add #financialfairplay clause & be done.

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@NBA – Our goal is a season with our current players
@MattCarbonaro – Will you guys consider replacement players?

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@NBA – Teams’ proposal is for a fair deal
@Captain_Qwark – Why is it the player’s responsibility to help finance owner’s debt from purchasing a team?

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@NBA – We need a system that allows all 30 teams to compete for a championship
@AzazNYK – Are you willing to lose the season over system issues?

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@NBA – Teams suffering enormous losses; no choice but to recover if season does not start soon.
@JohnLigon – What would be accomplished by offering a worse deal if the players reject this one? Isn’t that just giving up on the season?

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@NBA – Minimum age is subject to further discussion with union; amnesty excludes a waived players’ salary from his team’s cap
@kc1nyk – Is it true that u guys are thinking about making the age minimum for the draft 20 years old rather than 19. And can u explain amnesty?

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@NBA – Smaller MLE for taxpayers is not about the money, it’s about competitive balance
@pwinfield24 – Why can’t tax paying teams use full MLE since they are paying luxury tax at a higher rate? Doesn’t tax money go to non paying tax teams

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@NBA – Tax calculation in year 3: 53.5% of BRI, subtract player benefits, divide by 30: projected at $74 mill
@BimaThug – How EXACTLY will the luxury tax be calculated starting in Year 3? Throwing out random #s doesn’t indicate its relation to salary cap.

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@NBA – We want a system where all 30 teams regardless of market size can compete for a championship
@mavndgooner – How can you expect the players to go from 57 to 50 BRI & be satisfied with a deal unless the owners also make significant concessions?

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@NBA – That’s why we’re doing this Twitterview.
@Dnussbaum – Seems that there is much misinformation being propagated by agents, union, why doesn’t NBA give specifics on espn.com?

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@NBA – The economics & system favored the players in prior CBA — Teams lost over 300m last year
@DwyaneWade – why are all your “system solutions” only impacting the PLAYERS?? What have the owners giving up of significance??

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@NBA – Max salary will be $20 mill in year 3: higher maxes would take money from other players especially middle class
@gostu22 – why don’t you raise max salaries so teams can’t fit multiple stars under the cap? Seems like it would enhance comp. balance…

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@NBA – 50% of BRI would fund players’ salaries
@LLCOOLREN – is the BRI funds the players share with the owners along with their salary that they already make?

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@NBA – Teams are group being criticized for trying to raise avg salaries from $5 mill to $8 mill & provide for better competition
@spencerhawes00 – if the commish calls the agents greedy for trying to protect their clients from a trbl deal what does that make the owners?

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@NBA – No matter the system, teams will have to make smart decisions to succeed
@The__Cooler – Why does the NBA feel the need to protect bad owners/GMs from themselves? Knicks proved $ doesn’t give u an advantage.

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@NBA – No such clause was even proposed
@One_Sage - using the D-league 5 year $75k demotion clause, are you trying to get out from guarantee contracts? Isn’t this clause a bit too unfair?

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@NBA – Players not unreasonable or greedy; system is broken
@momomoses7 - And why are players being “unreasonable” and “greedy” when they are the only side making sacrifices from previous CBA?

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@NBA – The last five NBA champions were taxpayers
@kennyclark05 – How can the league cite competitive balance as a reason for this terrible offer when 3 of final 4 teams last year were not tax teams?

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@NBA – Don’t agree; season starts if union agrees to NBA’s proposal.
@spencerhawes00 – since we have covered all of your alleged losses(and more)why am I not getting ready for a game tonight. Reason the lockout continues?

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@NBA – Stretch exception only applies to contracts signed under new CBA
@_andresb – Is it true that teams will not be allowed to use the stretch exception on players already signed under the previous CBA?

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@NBA – Contraction has been discussed but is not a complete solution
@sportsguy33 – Why not contract over missing a season?

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The NBA also posted this informative video / “slide show” on YouTube which outlines the Owners’ latest CBA offer to the Union.  You can watch it below … and decide for yourself which side you want to take …

E. Smith

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