San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, who is also the Vice President of the NBA Player’s Union, talked with Fan 590 in Toronto recently to discuss the recent lockout meetings.
While it seemed the players and owners were close to a deal, it appears that was just a facade by the owners, who according to Bonner, took steps back in their labor discussions.
“There’s definitely some discouragement and frustration from the players point of view,” Bonner said. “We were willing to put forth the effort and make some compromises and sacrifice, but the owners didn’t budge.”
Bonner said the two biggest issues are the hard cap and the Basketball Related Income or BRI.
“Both sides need to make sacrifices, we just want a fair deal. They’re just trying to stick it to us on both sides,” Bonner said. “To me it’s not fair, you can’t have everything.”
Bonner also had a special message to fans, saying the players love the fans and the game and hope fans won’t have to miss games.
Listen to the full 12-minute interview below.
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