Another NBA lockout looming?

The nation’s No. 1 basketball fan has taken office. He has 2 1/2 years to perhaps save the National Basketball Association.

If President Barack Obama can fix the economy, talk of another NBA work stoppage might subside. For now, such talk is quite prevalent among survivors from the 1998-99 lockout.

There are 55 players on current NBA rosters who were active during the lockout. It was 10 years ago this month that commissioner David Stern and union director Billy Hunter met all night in New York and came up with half a season.

The Rocky Mountain News talked to four holdover players from that 50-game campaign. All four — the Houston Rockets’ Brent Barry, the Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups and Sacramento Kings teammates Bobby Jackson and center Brad Miller — believe another lockout is very possible in 2 1/2 years, and players must do what they can to avoid it.

The NBA has to decide by Dec. 15, 2010, whether to extend the collective-bargaining agreement through the 2011-12 season. If not extended, it expires June 30, 2011.

With the economy in shambles, teams are watching profits fall off faster than Allen Iverson’s game. When they have a chance, NBA owners are expected to want to continue to reel in bloating salaries and try to steer the NBA closer toward a hard salary cap.

“If the economy doesn’t turn in two years, there’s definitely going to be a lockout because everybody is taking a hit in this recession,” Jackson said. “The owners are definitely going to want to make some cutbacks, and the players aren’t going to want to make the cutbacks.

“But I think we have to put our differences aside and say what’s best, and that’s playing this game and giving fans what they want and not being selfish.”

As the date gets closer to when players might have to think hard about whether to buy a seventh car, Jackson plans to share with work-stoppage neophytes what the league went through 10 years ago. He said all players must become “re-educated” about 1998-99.

“We’re trying to stick together as players right now preparing for (a possible lockout) early instead of just kind of coming up on it and not worrying about it like the guys did the last time,” Miller said.

“(Another lockout is) always a possibility the way the economy is going. A lot of team’s ownerships aren’t making money like they used to. Endorsement deals, those companies are struggling, so they’re not putting as much back in.”

The economy actually was thriving in 1998-99, but that couldn’t prevent an NBA work stoppage that resulted in three months of the season being wiped out and Stern growing a lockout beard that made him look like Burl Ives.

The owners, scared by Kevin Garnett’s 1997 signing of a six-year, $126 million contract extension, achieved goals of instituting maximum salaries and first-round picks having to wait longer for big money. Concessions to players included minimum salaries being bumped up and increased exceptions for teams over the salary cap.

But both sides paid a heavy price as it became a threat that — egad! — NASCAR might overtake the NBA in popularity. It might not have been until the star-studded 2003 rookie class of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony arrived that NBA fan interest fully returned.

The NBA 10 years ago crammed 50 games into three months. With players out of shape, the game truly suffered.

“People complain about back-to-backs,” said Billups, then in his first Nuggets stint. “We had three games in a row that season (twice). That was torture.”

Billups is under contract for 2011-12. He’d sure love to have a season then.

“Without a doubt, (another lockout is) possible,” Billups said. “I know a lot of NBA teams are losing some money… . Hopefully, (all parties) can get to the table and just clear it up quick before it gets ugly.”

Billups talked basketball with Obama last year. Now, as the nation’s ultimate hoops head, Obama has a chance to provide the NBA with an assist during his term.

Chris Tomasson is a sports columnist for the Rocky Mountain News.