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NBA Lockout Chronology

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Posted: Wednesday January 06, 1999 12:20 PM

Oct. 27, 1994 -- Owners and players agree to play the 1994-95 season under a no-strike, no-lockout agreement.

June 21, 1995 -- Owners and the players' union reach agreement on a six-year deal including a luxury tax of up to 100 percent on certain large contracts if the percentage of basketball-related income devoted to player salaries exceeds 63 percent.

July 1, 1995 -- Owners impose a lockout after players refuse to vote on ratification of the new deal.

Aug. 8, 1995 -- Owners and players reach a new agreement, deleting the luxury tax in exchange for a reopener clause giving the owners the right to toss out the agreement after three years if the percentage of basketball-related income devoted to player salaries exceeds 51.8 percent.

Sept. 12, 1995 -- Players vote 226-134 to accept the new six-year agreement rather than decertify their union, and the lockout ends.

July 1, 1996 -- A moratorium on player signings is imposed as the sides work to finalize details of the six-year pact.

July 11, 1996 -- A lockout is imposed as the sides argue over $50 million in television revenue. The lockout is lifted after a couple of hours, and the agreement is completed.

March 23, 1998 -- Owners vote 27-2 to reopen the collective bargaining agreement at the conclusion of the season.

June 22, 1998 -- The last of nine in-season negotiating sessions ends after only 30 minutes, with the players saying they won't listen to any proposal that includes a "hard" salary cap.

June 30, 1998 -- League announces a lockout will begin the next day. Union files grievance with arbitrator John Feerick, asking that players with guaranteed contracts be paid during the lockout.

July 1, 1998 -- Owners impose the third lockout in league history.

Aug. 6, 1998 -- Collective bargaining talks resume, and owners walk out upon hearing the union's new proposal.

Aug. 26-Sept. 9, 1998 -- Guaranteed contracts hearing held before Feerick.

Sept. 24, 1998 -- League cancels 24 exhibition games and announces the indefinite postponement of training camps.

Oct. 5, 1998 -- League cancels remainder of exhibition season.

Oct. 8, 1998 -- Sides meet for about 4 1/2 hours, making little progress, and the first two weeks of the season are canceled.

Oct. 13, 1998 -- Sides meet for several hours, making no progress.

Oct. 20, 1998 -- Feerick ruled in favor of owners, saying they do not have to pay off guaranteed contracts during the lockout.

Oct. 28, 1998 -- After a meeting of the full union membership at which the owners were invited to speak, the sides meet past midnight but fail to reach an agreement.

Nov. 6, 1998 -- At a 1 1/2 hour-meeting, the union fails to give the owners a new proposal as promised.

Nov. 20 -- The sides meet for 13 hours and admit for the first time that they've made substantial progress.

Nov. 25 -- Union says it misunderstood a key aspect of owners' Nov. 20 proposal.

Dec. 4 -- Sides meet for 11 hours, after which commissioner David Stern says it is more likely than not that there won't be a season.

Dec. 23 -- Stern and players' union head Billy Hunter meet for five hours in Los Angeles at the office of agent Leonard Armato.

Dec. 27 -- Sides meet for five hours in Denver, with the league making its "final" proposal.

Jan. 4 -- Union presents its "final" offer to owners, and Stern says league might use replacement players in the 1999-2000 season.

Jan. 5 -- NBA players begin arriving in New York on the eve of a scheduled vote by the union membership on whether to support the negotiating committee's rejection of the league's last proposal.

Jan. 6 -- After a secret, all-night negotiating session, Stern and Hunter reach agreement to end the lockout the day before the league's "drop dead" date to cancel the season.

 

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