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Shannon Brown on What David Stern Said to the Media: “The truth will come out when it’s all said and done”
The NBA lockout continues to be in effect and while negotiations are taking place, the only thing that has been decided at this point is that there will not be any preseason games. It seems like the two sides are heading down the path of actually missing regular season games as well as they can’t figure out how to split the revenue. While the mega-stars in the NBA probably can afford to miss some paychecks in the regular season and billionaire owners may be able to as well, any loss of games seems like it would affect a player like Shannon Brown. Brown’s contract with the Lakers ran out and is a free agent. In a normal offseason, Brown may be a perfect candidate for the mid-level exception. However, that might go away as well. As the players and owners continue to work on a new collective bargaining agreement, the high flying dunker for the Lakers continues to be in limbo about his future as do so many other players around the NBA.
Shannon Brown joined ESPN Los Angeles with Max and Marcellus to talk about how the labor negotiations could affect him being a free agent, what the future holds for him, what he thinks about the possibility of Kobe Bryant playing in Italy, if he would like to be a starter in the NBA and get more minutes, and what he makes of David Stern saying the players rejected a 50-50 revenue split.
How labor negotiations could affect him being a free agent:
“As far as in the future it affects me because they’re trying to kill the mid-level exception. That’s kinda where I fall under at this time. If they do that it will definitely hurt my finances as far as like my contracts. Thank God my momma taught me how to be smart with my money so I’m okay. I wouldn’t be making as much as I would opposed to if the mid-level exception was still there.”
What the future holds for him:
“That’s why we’re waiting for this agreement to step into place. We’re waiting for this agreement to be made so negotiations and everything can be figured out after that. Then we can see what the process is. Right now I really don’t know. If I start trying to weigh every option and put all the numbers into affect I would go crazy trying to figure it out. I’m just waiting till everything is done and figure it out that way.”
What he thinks about the possibility of Kobe Bryant playing in Italy:
“That would be great man. For him, especially growing up over there, it would be good for him to go back over there and show his appreciation for the fundamental skills that they gave him. He always talks about how he learned the fundamentals over there. (Host: You might have to go over there Shannon.) If they give me what they’re giving Kobe it would be no doubt about it (laughing).”
If he would like to be a starter in the NBA:
“Yeah that’s definitely the ideal. You know what I’m saying? At the same time I know that nobody is going to give me anything and I’m willing to work for whatever it is that I have to take, I have no problem with that. At the same time if I don’t get the 30 or 40 minutes I’m still gonna go out there and produce and do what I have to do in the time I’m out there, but to take my game to the next level, experience is the best teacher.”
What he makes of David Stern saying that the players rejected a 50-50 revenue split:
“Everybody wants everybody on their side so if he told the media whatever he told them that is just to get everybody who doesn’t really know what is going on on their side. That’s the way he wants to play the game and that’s the way he’s playing the game. Everybody, the truth will come out when it’s all said and done. The books haven’t been all the way open so you never know know what’s not being said. I just try to leave that part alone and just focus on coming to this agreement.”
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