WILLIS: PUT IT TO A VOTE.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Kevin Willis Kevin Alvin Willis (born September 6, 1962 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He is a 7-foot power forward/center. At age 44, he is the oldest active player in the league. of the Toronto Raptors  The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. defied his union leadership Tuesday and called for NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= players to vote by secret ballot secret ballot n. 1. A type of voting in which each person's vote is kept secret, but the amassed votes of various groups are revealed publicly. 2. See Australian ballot. Noun 1. in hopes of ending the lockout lockout, intentional closing up of a company, factory, or shop by an employer to prevent employees from working during a strike or labor dispute. The term lockout . ``The majority would vote for the owners' latest proposal, just to start playing ball again,'' Willis said, referring to the offer made last week by NBA commissioner David Stern. The lockout began July 1 and the regular season, which was to begin Oct. 31, has been delayed until at least late January. No new talks are scheduled, with Stern on vacation in Aspen, Colo., and union chief Billy Hunter in Oakland. Tuesday marked the 10th day since the last round of bargaining, and players continue to lose $50 million a week in salaries. If a deal isn't reached soon, the entire season will be scrapped. Stern has refused to say when it will be too late to save the season. The league and the players are trying to determine how to divide about $2 billion in annual revenue. Steve Woods, Willis' agent and a professor of sports business at South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. , has an antagonistic relationship with the union. In October, he was escorted by security guards from a players' meeting in Las Vegas. ``I believe that a blind ballot would be acceptable,'' Woods said. ``I think 80 percent would accept it (the proposal), based on the 15 players I talk to on a regular basis. They would accept it and be ready to play tomorrow.'' Union spokesman Dan Wasserman didn't agree. ``We conducted conference calls over the last two weeks with more than 120 players on each call,'' he said. ``At least a dozen players on each call specifically told us they will wait for the negotiating committee to recommend a deal that is worthy of putting to a vote.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO ``The majority would vote for the owners' latest proposal, just to start playing ball again.'' - Kevin Willis, Toronto Raptors player |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion