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Saturday, February 8
Updated: April 15, 10:36 AM ET
 
Group hug? Where MJ, Lakers and Stern stand

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

ATLANTA -- First, of course, is the obligatory MJ Update.

As of late Saturday night, the signals coming from Eastern Conference operatives are that East players -- and especially coach Isiah Thomas -- simply refuse to let Michael Jordan come off the bench in Sunday's All-Star Game, no matter what Jordan prefers. The West is also said to be preparing a tribute of sorts, orchestrated by Gary Payton, but don't rule out an Isiah-led group shove to get Jordan onto the floor for the opening tip, if that's what it takes.

Next, inevitably, comes the burning question from an unusually newsy All-Star Saturday: Does the new playoff format, best-of-seven games in Round 1 starting this season, help or hurt the Lakers?

There will be a loud majority arguing that the daunting prospect of beating L.A. four times in one series makes the unexpected change a bonus for the Lakers. The initial reaction here is that it could actually hurt the three-time champs, who suddenly face a longer grind with a thinner team, and without the opportunity to show up for the first round as the textbook illustration of a low seed that can torment the home-court team in a short series.

Lastly, the focus shifts to Commisioner Stern, after he uncorked a few surprises at his annual state-of-the-league address. Sitting next to Players Association chief Billy Hunter, somewhat unexpected in itself, Stern introduced the changes in the playoff format and didn't stop there.

  • Stern detailed concessions he made to the league's veterans to get Hunter's union to approve the immediate switch to make every round of the playoffs a best-of-seven. The biggest trade-off: Vets with at least four seasons of experience will have the option of skipping the first three days of camp next season, and the first five days in the following two seasons.

  • Stern shared that he had agreed, in a meeting of his own Saturday morning, to support Darko Milicic's eligibility for the June draft even before he met with Hunter to hear that the union was backing the Yugoslav teen's appeal. Milicic instantly became the favorite to be selected No. 2 behind LeBron James on draft day.

  • Stern hinted at a severe punishment for Miami coach Pat Riley coming out of the All-Star break after Riley, already sporting a $50,000 fine from December, railed at the referees again after last Wednesday's loss to Portland. Stern called it "unfinished business" and said: "Pat's having a tough year and he's letting it get to him. He's a good friend and a great coach and he's just going to have to stop it."

  • Stern also announced that he will take a more active role in policing NBA referees, amid complaints from players and coaches -- and not just Riley -- that some refs have escalated tensions during this season's wave of confrontations and suspensions. "The person that has to get put on the hot seat is me," Stern said, although he remains unwilling to publicize the punishments the officials get after such incidents. "They have got the hardest job that I know of in the sports world," Stern said, "… (and disclosure) might further erode the ability of these gentlemen to do the job that they do so well."

    Saturday's non-surprise is that pretty much all of the unity on display at the Stern-Hunter news conference is money-driven. Expanding the playoffs will increase revenue, at a time when all teams need it, and Stern's eagerness to work in concert with Hunter -- and vice versa -- is a clear hint from both sides that they want to protect what they have before the landscape gets messier. For all the dour financial forecasts in professional sports today, the average NBA salary is still a tidy $4.6 million.

    Stern and Hunter are now both expressing hope that they can extend the current labor agreement before next December, when league owners must decide whether to exercise an option to extend the pact through the 2004-05 season. The central issue continues to be the concept of the luxury tax, which severely restricts player movement because teams are increasingly unwilling to make trades or signings because they want to ensure they fall below the expected luxury-tax threshold of $52 million.

    Hunter undoubtedly wants the tax abolished in exchange for several more years of labor peace. He might have to settle for a cap on how much tax one team pays, and will undoubtedly have to address Stern's push for an age limit of 20, but the union has to be encouraged.

    Reason being: Stern was a rather giddy and giving commish on the eve of MJ's All-Star finale.

    "This is something that's important for us to try very hard to do at this time in our league, in our country, in our economy," Stern said of extending the labor pact.

    Said Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, in response: "It's great to have the players and teams on the same side."

    Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here.




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