"The show must go on" goes the very American saying, which in some ways can be considered a way of understanding life and business: also because when we talk about American sport (and not only) we are basically talking about business . But while in Italy the bizarre story of the controversial strike of Serie A footballers seems closed, in the homeland of show business, where the box office is a religion, it is impossible to overcome the stalemate in one of the biggest leagues in the world .
What then is the anomaly? The difference between the situation in Serie A and that of the NBA lies mainly in the enormity of the stakes. This is not an incomprehensible (according to the writer) diatribe on the number of players who will have to compose the squads and on a tax that does not yet exist. The outcome of the American negotiations depends on hundreds of millions of dollars more or less that the teams will have to pay to the players.
A stake so high as to justify the exhausting meetings that take place almost daily between David Sterne, the very powerful commissioner of the league who should play the role of deus ex machina, and Derek Fisher, champion of the Los Angeles Lakers (the Damiano Tommasi from overseas) , which always end with the usual stalemate.
The parties do not appear to be getting close to an agreement. Complicating the situation is the complexity of the deployments. At first glance it might seem like a match against a match: players against clubs. Star Kevin Garnett even evoked Cold War scenarios: “During the lockout you can't trust anyone. You never know what the other side is thinking, you always have to be one step ahead to predict their moves."
On closer inspection, various interests are hidden within the lineup of owners. Those of the most famous teams in the big cities, whose balance sheet is positive, are more concerned by the possibility that the start of the season will be postponed a lot. Those of the minor teams, strongly interested in getting out of this story by having to pay the players as little as possible. And then there are the poorest teams, with the most red balance sheets, who are even happy not to have to donate their salaries to the players for some time. Add to these the interests of the League, which in the last year had a deficit of 400 million dollars and for which more than 5000 people work, one hundred of whom have already lost their jobs in recent months.
It will be precisely the need to avoid the losses that would fall in avalanche on all the collateral sectors to the purely sporting one that will probably push towards a solution. It has been calculated that just for not using the arenas more than a billion euros would go up in smoke in a year, costs that would fall not only on the teams but on all the companies that provide services within these .
Meanwhile the players are at the window. The possibility of the great exodus seems to be receding. The superstar, whose ankles are worth millions of dollars, seem reluctant to risk their multi-million dollar salary to try overseas adventures. Sponsors, TV programs, Hollywood appearances: the benefits are felt in times of "peace" as in times of "war". There was certainly no shortage of big offers, with Russian, Chinese and Turkish magnates indulging, but it seems that no one today has the chance to tempt the big stars. Unlike the situation for second tier players, the prospect of a year without salary could convince them, and has convinced some, to try the European route.
Only in the coming weeks will we have a clearer idea of how the situation can be resolved. Meanwhile, in America as in Italy, it remains impossible for supporters and enthusiasts to right themselves right away. The hard core of everything discussed is always the rolling ball, towards a basket or into a net.
The underlying reason why the NBA, Serie A and any other league in the world make sense to exist remains the desire of people to be passionate about the sporting events of the players on the field. Betrayed lovers just have to hang on and find some pastime to keep busy. Unless they opt to run away with a more generous and less capricious mistress.
