Let’s say that the lockout starts to look pretty dire, and let’s say the players are totally over it. Could they really start their own league? I know that Bill Simmons wrote a column about this, but he was talking about cool eventualities and storylines. (It’s a good piece, by the way.)
I’m talking about–can they actually do it?
Yes, of course they can. They can sell tickets. They’re the people that sell tickets, and starving fans will want to see them play. Sure, they won’t make what they’re making now, but they could start something that, properly groomed, could grow into a nice little basketball league.
I know this–it would attract college players who are not good for school. It would call out people who are done with school but not ready for the NBA (and since NBA guys are not all going to play in this player’s league) there might be some spots for some cool guys from college too.
I don’t think it would take over the airwaves. I don’t know how they would show it on TV, but people would want to watch it. It’s that simple. It’s that basic.
This league wouldn’t be an ABA that would cause the NBA to have to negotiate to let in teams and let others fold. You know what it would be? It would be a big middle finger to the negotiators saying, “We’ll play anyways. Call us when you’re done screwing around.”
I think that sentiment is probably pretty big in the NBA. Sure, lots of players are talking about getting a fair deal. But, I bet some just want a deal to be done because they’re over all the business crap.
That would cause a little league to start, flourish, and then slowly subside when a deal was made.
They can do it, but for how long?
