LA Lakers: 5 Ways the NBA Lockout Will Affect the Lakers

There’s really nothing good about the current NBA lockout.  Unless, of course, you happen to think a bunch of “suits” in a room talking about how many millions of dollars they stand to lose if players don’t give back what the owners gave them in the first place is your idea of a good time.

And if you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan, you have to wonder just how a protracted stalemate by the two sides will affect the team and its core players.

The basic story line is this:  Commissioner David Stern, considered to be one of the best negotiators in all of sports, is apparently steadfast in his decision to not give an inch and will only consider a deal with the players if they agree to reduce the amount of money they receive from the league as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement.

Stern and the league claim that 22 of 30 teams lost money last year, which doesn’t say much for a professional sports organization that enjoyed its best television ratings in years and unprecedented popularity both at home and abroad.

The bottom line is that the bottom line stinks.  The league made a bad deal for itself in the last CBA which turned out to be a sweetheart one for the players, who just want to continue the good thing they have.    This standoff is starting to resemble the inane inaction going on in Washington, DC as the White House and Congress attempt to get a budget deal done before the government implodes in August.

In the meantime the Lakers, like other NBA teams, have big issues to address.  Like how to stay focused, in shape and committed to next season when you don’t really know if there will be a next season. 

Let’s take a look at how this shutdown will affect the likes of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and that new guy, Meta World Peace.

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