NBA Cancels November Schedule as Labor Talks Continue

(NewsCore) - The NBA on Friday announced the cancellation of all regular season games through November 30 after players and owners were unable to agree to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.

NBA commissioner David Stern, who earlier this month canceled the first two weeks of the season, made the decision to call off the rest of November's games after both sides emerged from yet another day of labor talks without reaching a deal on how to split the league's revenue.

There had been hope during the week that a full 82-game schedule could still be salvaged if there was a breakthrough in the talks, but Stern said Friday there is no longer a chance of that happening.

"It's not practical, possible or prudent to have a full season now. There will not be full NBA season under any circumstances," he said.

When asked why the two sides opted to stop negotiating Friday, Stern said it was because National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter "left the room," emphasizing the point three times.

Stern said Hunter had been receiving calls from agents not to go below 52 percent on the split of basketball-related income (BRI) -- which remains the key roadblock to a new CBA as the lockout will soon drag into a fifth month -- and when the NBA offered a 50-50 split Friday, Hunter closed his book and left.

In the previous deal, the players received 57 percent of BRI.

Hunter claimed Stern "snookered" him Thursday night by telling him owners would make an economic move on Friday, but the owners remained stuck at the 50 percent offer.

"We made a lot of concessions but this time, unfortunately, it's not enough," Hunter said following Friday's roughly six-hour session.

No additional meetings have been scheduled.