NBA to cancel rest of preseason games

Web posted October 6, 1998

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The NBA canceled the rest of its preseason games Monday because of its labor dispute with the players.

It also appears unlikely the basketball season will begin as scheduled on Nov. 3.

League officials previously canceled 24 preseason games, and on Monday they called off the remaining 90.

``At this point, our teams cannot possibly be ready to play any games before November,'' deputy NBA commissioner Russ Granik said in a statement. ``It's sad that we have been unable to have any meaningful negotiations.''

Union officials had no immediate comment.

Negotiations in the 3-month-old lockout are not scheduled to resume until Oct. 8. The two sides will have only a few days after that to cut a deal that would preserve a full 82-game schedule, since it would take at least three weeks to sign players, make trades and hold training camps.

The owners are demanding a absolute ceiling on salaries, or a ``hard'' salary cap, something the union opposes.