Thaindian News

New York, Oct 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The parties involved in the talks to find solution to the NBA lockout says they are making progress. After the talks on Thursday, the mediators say the differences remain but both sides are making sacrifices.

The owners and the players were locked out in a meeting with the mediators for about eight hours on Thursday. This is the first time since the lockout started that the two sides have expressed any form of optimism at all that the issue might be resolved.

The executive director of the players’ union Billy Hunter told reporters that, “I think we’re within reach and within striking distance of getting a deal… It’s just a question of how receptive the N.B.A. is and whether or not they want to do a deal.”

The players and the owners are locked in dispute over how to share the revenue from the game and the so-called system issues. All the sides will enter into what is expected to be another marathon meeting on Friday. The parties have been involved in long meetings since Wednesday.

The NBA season was originally scheduled to begin on the 1st of November. The association has already cancelled the first two weeks and there was no preseason because of the lockout.