New York (AFP) - NBA team owners and the players union have made "tremendous progress" toward a new collective bargaining agreement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Friday, with rich new television deals helping talks.
Former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan being involved as owner of the Charlotte Hornets has helped build trust between owners and players, either of whom could opt out of their current deal December 15 and potentially set up the first league shutdown since 2011 come next July.
"We've made tremendous progress," Silver said. "We're not done-done as bargainers in terms of ultimately having a completed collective bargaining agreement.