NBA players and owners arrived at a tentative agreement to end the NBA lockout on early Saturday morning, David Stern and Billy Hunter announced in a joint press conference.
The deal will be put to a majority vote among 450 players and 29 owners before becoming finalized, and smaller issues still need to be ironed out. But all indications are that a 66-game NBA season will begin on Dec. 25, with training camps and free agency both opening on Dec. 9.
After filing a disclaimer of interest that effectively dissolved the union, the players association still needs to reform and hold a vote before the deal can be ratified. Ending a 149-day long stalemate caused by several negotiating hurdles, the players and owners reportedly agreed to a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income (BRI) and the owners reportedly made "significant" movement toward the players' stance on system issues.
The NBA season is scheduled to begin on Christmas Day with three games: Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, and Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers.
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