City leaders stress the negative impact the NBA’s labor dispute is having on their cities and their local economies.
The mayors of 14 mayors of NBA cities, including former Phoenix Sun point guard and current Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, are tired of the money their cities are losing as a result of the NBA lockout and have co-signed an open letter encouraging the owners and players to put an end to the nearly four-month-old lockout.
The letter, which is drafted on the letterhead of the United States Conference of Mayors, is addressed to NBA commissioner David Stern and Players Association executive director Billy Hunter, stresses the negative impact the lockout is having on small businesses in their respective communities.
“Unfortunately, lost in the debate over a new NBA collective bargaining agreement, has been the perspective of those very residents and the negative impact a cancelled season might have on them, our cities and our local economies,” the letter states.
The problem the mayors face is that the owners and players don’t seem to listening to anyone except themselves. The two sides broke off three straight days of negotiations on Thursday after they weren’t able to reach an agreement. No new dates have been set for further discussions.
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris
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