15 best NBA moments from 2016
By Adam McGee
12. Seven more years!
It’s far from the most glamorous memory or moment to take away from the year, but it’s almost certainly the most important. In spite of occasional skepticism on both sides, the NBA and the NBPA reached a “tentative agreement” on a new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement in December.
At a time when the league is generating record revenues thanks to lucrative TV deals, the ability for both sides to come to an agreement so quickly is significant. It would have been all too easy for either side to have wanted a bigger share of the pie than what was being offered across the negotiating table. With a compromise in place, both sides have agreed to take their relative gains and kick on.
Most importantly, that means we avoid a lockout scenario akin to that of 2011, and may not have to worry about a repeat of that for long into the future.
Aside from avoiding work stoppages, the introduction of two-way contracts effectively expanding roster sizes to cater for increased D-League relevance, shorter preseason schedules, and a potential sixth year on contracts for players who qualify for the “designated veteran player exemption”, were all notable signs of progress for the players that for the most case should help to improve the overall standard of the NBA too.