Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce & LeBron James Very Vocal In NBA Labor Negotiations

NBA labor negotiations round two begin again this morning but one thing is clear, the superstars are taking their roles as mentors seriously. Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are encouraging players to stand together at 53% (the number that the union is willing to drop to for the players share of the BRI, down from the previous 57%) The owners are said to still be stuck at 46% for the players.

James, Wade and Paul believe the owners are bluffing in threatening to ultimately cancel the season to get the changes they want in the collective bargaining agreement, a source in the meeting said. In the meeting with union peers, the three stars declared their willingness to miss games rather than drop down from the 53 percent of BRI the union has proposed to the NBA.

In Friday’s sessions, Paul Pierce was another player who was vocal. He expressed that while he knows he’s on his last big contract, he wants to ensure that the players coming up behind him are being taken care of. He also addressed the issue of small market teams not being able to compete under the current CBA, pointing to the success of teams like the San Antonio Spurs and more recently, the Oklahoma City Thunder.