Is Stern the real Villan ?

[RiversideClips]

As a Clips fan I can't stand Derek Fisher. Fisher as a Union Leader seems to honest & truly caring about the future of his game, he really hasn't waivered.
Stern on the other hand, uses the NBA Stars to promote the game and he doesn't hesitate to "USE" these players, now it seems like he is ok to hold them for ransom. I was under the impression that a good "COMMISH" works for both the owners & the players, Stern is obviously working strictly for the owners. Has Stern offered to take a pay cut in the new negotiations, even though Stern has said the NBA Head Offices will reduce its spending by over 20%.
I really think that STERN has used all his evil to get over on the players; I hope the league Superstars will remember how Stern treated them in negotiations when he wants a favor.

[mkwest]

Stern was elected by the owners, so he has to support their cause. He works for them.

Sources: David Stern will not get salary

NBA commissioner David Stern will not collect on his eight-figure salary during the ongoing lockout, according to sources with knowledge of Stern's pay status.

Stern has given no indication that he will agree to lower his salary when the sides ultimately do hammer out a new labor agreement that is expected to be far more restrictive for players. Yet sources confirmed Tuesday that, during the work stoppage, Stern will indeed pass on collecting a salary that, based on a New York Daily News report in February, has been estimated as high as $23 million annually.

Responding to a question at the time about whether he would drop his salary to $1 as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did during the NFL's lockout, Stern said: "Well, I would say that last time (during the NBA's 1998-99 lockout) I didn't take a salary. I think a dollar would be too high in the event of a work stoppage."

Stern's exact yearly salary is not known, but three sources consulted this week by ESPN.com all put it at $15-to-16 million.

Marc Stein, ESPN

Report: Billy Hunter scoffs at notion of taking $1 salary during lockout

During an NBPA meeting last week, Grizzlies forward Shane Battier suggested to players’ union chief Billy Hunter that Hunter take a $1 salary during a lockout, Yahoo! Sports reported. Players at the meeting told the website that they believed Hunter was offended by the suggestion.

Hunter makes a little more than $2 million a year, Yahoo! notes, and while he initially received some push back, the union agreed to compensate Hunter about $1.1 million for unused vacation time two years ago, SportsBusiness Journal reported.

Sporting News

Roger Goodell is rumored to have made around $10M a couple of seasons ago in a far more profitable league. Stern is rumored to be getting Kobe money. He could definitely stand to take a paycut. It wouldn't make a huge difference, but it's something and would show an act of "good faith."

I'm not a fan of Fisher either (understatement!). I also think that he's looking out for own his interests and those of his team. Maybe I'm being unfair, but that's the way it looks to me when you consider what have been some of his beefs in the negotiations. Certain concessions happen to affect his team (as well as other big market spenders) while helping smaller market teams. I'm not saying that he is all bad in the negotiations, because I don't believe that to be so. Overall, I believe he's for the benefit of the players moving forward, but questionable on some issues.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

If you guessed whose sallary was higher Stern or Goodell you would probably guess Goodell. I had no idea Stern was pulling in $23 a year. And with that salary he has the nerve to ask the players to take a pay cut. I think it goes both ways here. If he wants his business to be more profitable you cut some expenses. Salaries are expenses and he should cut his considerably.

The other point I wanted to make is that Stern has always been working with the owners. I just always had that feeling.

[madmaxmedia]

I think Stern has a tough balancing act here though. The real 'villains' are the group of hardline owners who aren't really even in support of the final offer which the players rejected.

I believe the last CBA ended up slanted towards the players, and some correction was necessary to address competitive balance and overall NBA losses. But I think the owners have gone too far the other way, and today is the result.

Stern's salary is not really relevant to the labor discussions, he makes more than Goodell because he played an instrumental role in boosting NBA popularity over the years. It would be nice for him to make a good faith gesture and offer to reduce his salary, but it's not going to make an actual financial impact on any of this right now.