The 2011 NBA lockout began on July 1, 2011 over disputes between revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap. Teams cannot trade, sign or contact players, and players cannot access NBA facilities or trainers during the lockout. The first six weeks of the 2011-12 season through December 15, 2011 have been cancelled. The lockout just this week was resolved as the National Basketball Players Association and the NBA owners agreed to resume a reduced season. Juniata students remark on the lockout:

Ashton Bankos ’11. York, Pa.:

I do not like the NBA. I honestly think the association is stupid and any lockout is stupid. I am not necessarily a fan of the NBA’s attitude and spirit towards the sport of basketball. Especially being a senior basketball player here at Juniata, I recognize how much basketball means to me. It is disappointing professional players are more focused about money than the sport.

Alex Shope ’11. Hershey, Pa.:

I think the NBA players should suck it up and just play. They are getting paid massive amounts of money to play a sport. There are so many other people in the world that have more difficult jobs than these players do. They are quarrelling over a difference of a couple thousand dollars. It is ridiculous that a deal has not been made yet and they aren’t playing for the hundreds of fans each team has.

Jordan Hileman ’14. Williamsburg, Pa.:

I do not care about the NBA lockout. They are being paid to make free throws. How the NBA plays is not comparable to the way college basketball plays. They are frankly being immature about the situation. Being a college basketball player, I can honestly say I do not watch NBA games. They are not relevant to my life.

Katie McDonald ’14. State College, Pa.:

The NBA players are being greedy, selfish, and self-centered. They are making millions of dollars to play a game they supposedly love. If they really like playing the game, the fact that they don’t make a couple more million shouldn’t be an issue. I never paid attention to the NBA anyway. I am more focused on playing college basketball and don’t have time to focus on the NBA.

John Hill ’11 Pennington, N.J.:

Going to the Knicks games at Madison Square Garden is one of the best experiences of my life. Watching Carmelo Anthony play in person is simply amazing. The fact the NBA players and the owners have not settled the dispute yet is really sad.

Kayci Nelson ’14, Juniata Online Journalist