NEW YORK (AP) -- In yet another sign that the NBA season may never begin, the league today canceled its All-Star game.
Philadelphia Mayor Edward Rendell said that commissioner David Stern telephoned him with the news and was to make the announcement later today at a news conference in New York. The game had been scheduled for Feb. 14 in Philadelphia."That's the only landmark left," NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik told USA Today. "I hope the players haven't been convinced that the owners would never cancel the whole season."
The league was negotiating with Philadelphia, through the mayor's office, to find ways of softening the impact on hotels, which blocked off rooms for the weekend, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The league booked $3 million worth of rooms. The hotels could have earned that much in food and beverage sales.
Meanwhile, agents David Falk and Arn Tellem announced Monday that an exhibition game involving locked out NBA players is set for Dec. 19 in Atlantic City, N.J., with the proceeds going to charity and to players in financial need.
But Falk's most famous client, Michael Jordan, won't be playing.
"Michael has said he won't make a decision about returning to professional basketball or retiring until the lockout is over," said Curtis Polk, president of Falk's sports management company.
"We did talk to Michael about the game, obviously, and Michael feels he needs to stand by his earlier statement that he'll wait for a resolution of the lockout before he makes that decision. He wouldn't want to send the fans a sort of mixed message by his participation in this game."
Jordan's absence didn't stop the Atlantic City organizers from pricing their game extravagantly. Tickets will cost from $25 to $1,000 for courtside seats, and organizers hope to raise at least $1 million.
None of the players will be paid, and no criteria have been established for determining which players will share in the proceeds.
"If you look at people who play professional sports, not a lot of them are financially secure," union president Patrick Ewing said. "They make a lot of money, and they also spend a lot of money.
"Me, I'm financially secure, but there a lot of others who aren't. Our objective is to help these people. No matter how much money they've made throughout their careers, if they're in need now, then it's up to us to try and help them," Ewing said.
Thirteen players are committed to play, and organizers hope to have a total of 16 players who were members of the four Dream teams -- the 1992 and 1996 Olympic teams and the 1994 and 1998 World Championship teams.
Ewing, Karl Malone, Penny Hardaway, Tim Hardaway, Allan Houston, Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Tom Gugliotta, Gary Payton, Dominique Wilkins, Vin Baker, Glen Rice and Mitch Richmond have committed.
Among those who have not are Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Isiah Thomas, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Grant Hill and John Stockton.
Derrick Coleman and Larry Johnson, members of the 1994 World Championship team, were not invited.