Bill Russell speaks with CBS Sportsline:
"As a very interested bystander, I just hope they get a deal," Russell told CBSSports.com in a phone interview. "And it will not come from the hard-liners on either side. I think they all know that. I have this theory that hard-liners are like true believers. And true believers think that any compromise is a retreat. And moving forward, that doesn’t cut it."
Russell’s words carry weight – and not just because he is the most decorated champion in NBA history. The former Celtics’ star was among a group of 20 All-Stars who threatened to boycott the 1964 All-Star Game in Boston unless the NBA recognized the newly formed players’ union.
"Basically I was one of those guys that helped get the players’ association started," Russell said. "And they've done wonderful things. I knew David Stern before he was commissioner, when he was associate attorney for the NBA. And if I remember correctly, he said, ‘I do not consider the players' association my adversaries. They're my business partners.’
"That's where, a lot of the things that David has done -- and I’ve known him up close -- have been beneficial for both sides," Russell said.
I'm with Russell: let's put the rhetoric aside and just get this done. The good news is that the sides are talking and are apparently making progress, although an earlier report that the sides had reached agreement is being called false by multiple sources.