NBA lockout

Okay...so I was on Facebook this morning and came across a post by someone I know that kind of bothered me. This person was talking about how the players don't need anymore money and that they're all super greedy, and that they don't seem to care about the effect it will have on the cities and those who work for the NBA. So many people really don't know what this lockout is all about, so I'll tell you all.

The NBA is on a lockout because the the amount of money brought in from media coverage and whatnot is not being shared equally. At this point in time, the athletes receive 55% of what's brought in, while the owners and those at the top only get 45%. The commissioner and owners want the income to be split 50-50 and the players don't want to do that. While I don't agree that fighting over a measly 5% is worth it, I can see where each side is coming from.

While reading the comments on the status from this individual, I became more and more upset over what was being said. One person went as far as saying that "...if they had any other talents other than playing basketball..." a second person said that "it's utterly despicable. they should be ashamed of themselves" and another individual stated that "aren't most professional basketball players gangsters anyway?"

I have come to know many NBA players this summer and can tell you all that these statements are, without a doubt, completely and utterly wrong. The guys I've met are the complete opposite of every stereotype that was presented in that conversation. Many of them are really intelligent and are family men. I've seen the way they act around their families and they are just like the rest of us. Everyone has struggles and problems (and free agency) and they have to deal with the consequences of their actions just like the rest of us. We shouldn't judge people by a general stereotype, especially if we don't know them.

And, on a side note, many of the athletes DO care about how the lockout is affecting the cities and people losing their income/jobs that come with it. I came across an article that demonstrated just how some of them feel and what they are doing to help out. Here's the link to the article that was posted in the IndyStar, and it also made national news.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110200428