NBA Playoffs First Round Goes Best-of-7

By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer

ATLANTA - The first round of the NBA playoffs will switch from best-of-5 to best-of-7 this season under a tentative deal between the players' union and the league, The Associated Press learned Saturday.

The union and a handful of owners reached the agreement in talks during All-Star weekend. The sides also agreed to meet this summer to begin discussing an extension of the collective bargaining agreement that will expire after the 2003-04 or 2004-05 season.

The switch to a best-of-7 format was expected to be announced Saturday night at commissioner David Stern's annual All-Star news conference.


A source within the league with knowledge of the agreement, speaking on condition of anonymity, outlined the terms of the deal to the AP:

_ The playoff pool, to be divided among players on teams that qualify for the postseason, will rise by $750,000 to $8.75 million this season. It will go to $8.875 million in 2003-04 and $9 million in 2004-05.

_ Veterans with at least four years of experience will not be required to report for the first three days of training camp next season, and the first five days of training camp in the two subsequent seasons.

_ Teams will be prohibited from holding two-a-day practices after the 10th day of training camp.

Previous talks between the league and the union failed to produce an agreement on expanding the first round of the playoffs, which have been best-of-5 since 1984.

The change means that all four rounds of the NBA playoffs now will be best-of-7.

The agreement still must be approved by the 29 NBA owners, but that is considered a formality.

Owners also must decide by Dec. 15 whether to exercise an option in the collective bargaining agreement that would extend it through the 2004-05 season.

 

um.... why?

 

They did this because two more games means more ticket sells and more TV money.

 

Now the first round will be LONGER than two weeks. For some reason, the NBA has avoided games going head-to-head. Therefore they only schedule two games a night. So overrated. Only for money.

 

Naaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww, David Stern will find a way to extend the first round of playoff games to 3 weeks, watch !!!!!!!!!! At the most, a 7 game series should take 10 days to play (every other day off, take 2 off for traveling)