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By Daniel Shepherd
Former San Antonio Spurs star George Hill was spotted once more at a basketball court in the city; however he wasn’t sporting a Spurs jersey.
The guard came to town to feature in a game for the American Basketball Association team Texas Fuel.
“I know San Antonio misses some basketball,” said Hill, who was among the most popular players in his three seasons with the Spurs. “I wanted to give the fans something to do during the lockout.”
Now with the Indiana Pacers, Hill is one of many players growing tired of the NBA lockout. The lockout, which began on July 1st, is well into its 5th month and doesn’t look like ending any time soon. The fans have grown disgruntled and the players have become disillusioned, but NBA owners are still sticking to their guns.
Hill has been working out on his own throughout the lockout, but said he wanted to come over for the fans and just to get a feel of the game again. He did so with a triple-double.
“I was just trying to get my feet wet again and get up and down the floor,” he said. “At the same time, it's all for fun. I'm not out here to embarrass anybody.”
The NBA lockout meanwhile is headed for the courts. After David Stern issued an ultimatum to the National Basketball Players Association and refused to come to the negotiation table, the union decided to disband. They have since sued the owners, a step that could mean a lost NBA season.
Hill is still young, but he knows that the players have taken a responsible step and is completely behind the veterans.
“At the end of the day, you have to do what's best for your family,” Hill said, specifically praising union president Derek Fisher. “If that's sacrificing what you make for a year to get the best deal possible — not just for us, but for the guys coming in after us — it's worth it.”
He also said the players expected owners to wipe out a season, and they have been prepared. The player wasn’t worried too much about his financial situation.
“You knew this was coming,” said Hill, who has earned more than $3.2 million in his short career. “I paid attention during rookie orientation when they said, ‘Save your money.'”
The NBA owners and David Stern had hoped for exactly the opposite. The owners and Stern believed that by depriving NBA players of pay checks and threatening to wipe out the season, they would be able to pressure the union into accepting draconian terms.
With the players presenting a united front so far, it seems the owners’ strategy has backfired.
Tagged in: NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, David Stern, Lockout, George Hill
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