NBA Lockout: Derek Fisher, Union Frown on Deal Ultimatum

David Stern is the man winding the hands of the NBA’s doomsday clock. Yesterday he set his alarm to go off on Wednesday when the current offer on the table is set to expire. That deal is reported to be worth a 51-49 split favoring the players. However that deadline might not mean anything as Derek Fisher and the players almost immediately rejected the latest offer.

As has been the case every time Executioner Stern has imposed a deadline the union just seems unwilling to play along. The latest edition of the countdown to hoops catastrophe comes with a caveat. According to Stern this will be the last, best offer the owners are going to make. After this the owners are prepared to offer the players only 47% of the BRI pie.

So if you’re waiting until Wednesday to get an official stance from the union do your self a favor and don’t. Union lawyer Jeffrey Kessler summed up his clients’ thoughts on the offer with this ominous statement.

"“The players will not be intimidated. They want to play, they want a season, but they are not going to sacrifice the future of all NBA players under these types of threats of intimidation. It’s not happening on Derek Fisher’s watch; it’s not happening on Billy Hunter’s watch; it’s not happening on the watch of this executive committee.”"

With the owners making a take-it-or-leave-it offer it would seem the union has but one last card left to play.

Get ready for decertification. Get ready to be without NBA hoops this year also.

Union decertification would be the equivalent of President Obama unlocking the housing for the big red button and being handed the launch codes.

Good bye, hoops world!