The National Basketball Players Association held a regional meeting in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon to discuss the state of the ongoing labor negotiations with the NBA. The early word was not exactly on message.

SI.com reports that Washington Wizards center JaVale McGee left the media early to attend another engagement, noting: "There's definitely some guys in there saying that they're ready to fold, but the majority are willing to stand strong."

On Thursday, Fisher wrote on Twitter that the meeting was "important" and noted that "all players including rookies [were] welcome."

Despite that plea, SlamOnline.com reported that McGee estimated that the number of attendees was "about 25 to 30," fewer than the number who attended the NBPA's most recent regional meeting, held in Las Vegas back in September.

"Everybody knows we've got 2 get more people 2 come to the meetings," McGee said, according to SI.com.

Shortly after multiple independent sources reported McGee's comments, he posted the following message on Twitter: "I never said anyone is ready to fold! Media always wanna turn it!"

The NBPA's meeting is taking place one day after NBA commissioner David Stern began a media blitz that included an attack on NBPA executive director Billy Hunter, who he said has been inaccurately representing the NBA's offer to rank-and-file players.

Check back later for further updates from the NBPA's labor meeting in Los Angeles.

http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/32718682

Noel Celis/AFP/Getty ImagesWashington Wizards center JaVale McGee dunks in a charity all star game this summer. McGee told reporters a few players are "ready to fold,'' but most are not in the lockout negotiations.
The tone of the players today was not exactly optimistic as Tuesday’s vital meeting approached — one at which, if no agreement is reached, could mean no NBA season by Christmas — or at all this season.

Washington center JaVale McGee says a few NBA players are “ready to fold” in their contentious labor negotiations, but most still stand united behind union leadership.
Dwayne Wade, meanwhile, is bothered by the notion that player greed is fueling the lockout, and sounds less than optimistic that mediation will end the impasse.

Union president Derek Fisher and executive director Billy Hunter briefed a surprisingly small group of players on the state of negotiations at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., today.

McGee left the meeting early, but says the players are having frank dialogue on the league’s proposals. He says a few players advocated a quick deal, but the rest of the room “threw some facts at them.”

NBA commissioner David Stern also did more radio interviews. He says further cancellations could be announced next week if the sides can’t reach a deal to present the owners before two days of meetings begin Wednesday.

And Wade, speaking in Bradenton, Fla., suspects some owners are in no hurry to see a new labor deal because of lingering bitterness over what his Miami Heat did last summer, when they found a way to not only keep Wade but sign LeBron James and Chris Bosh, among others.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Wade said he’s growing increasingly concerned that more games — maybe many more games — might be canceled before this lockout ends.

“The longer it goes on, the more fans we’re going to lose,” the All-Star guard said.

That may be the one statement on which both sides can agree.

Hunter speculated that losing a season could result not only in loss of fans but also in some teams folding.

Meanwhile, despite the league being shut down because of the lockout, a person familiar with the deal says the sale of the Philadelphia franchise has been approved by the NBA Board of Governors. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the sale has not yet closed. That could happen early next week.

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2011/10/nba_lockout_javale_mcgee_says.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

smackeddog wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:alanhahn Alan Hahn
Thirty of 400 players at NBPA meeting in LA. Amar'e/Melo in NYC, CP3 in NC, LeBron in London. Fisher "Meaningful day" just doesn't resonate.

I've noticed hahn seems to be getting a bit more anti-player the past few weeks despite his insistances that he doesn't have a side. Hahn does realise that those are all east coast players and that this was a west coast meeting for west coast based players, doesn't he? All of those players he mentioned attended the east coast meeting in miami after the charity game.

It's got to be wearing thin to be spending your time writing stories about labor relations and the latest charity event. Maybe he could just turn his column into a split blog between a random player and a random owner.