Charity Game Good For The Fans
Grateful for even a momentary reprieve from the NBA lockout, fans who turned out for a charity game Saturday were adamant nonetheless: They want the real games back.
Neither owners nor players got much sentiment from action-starved fans who attended "The Game on Showtime," an ad-hoc all-star game featuring the NBA's top names.
"Any time you're negotiating over $2 billion, it shouldn't take two minutes to settle it," said Artie Sheffield, 31, of Philadelphia, who watched from a complimentary $100 courtside seat in the Atlantic City Convention Center.
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"I love NBA basketball, but both sides are wrong on this one," said Aundrey Davis, 28, of Atlantic City. "These guys, they grew up watching this game. And the older players didn't do this to them."
Despite its last-minute scheduling, the game drew a decent crowd. About 10,000 tickets were snapped up in advance, according to arena officials.
If they were holding a grudge, it wasn't readily evident. Hundreds of people, many carrying cameras, crowded around the court before the game in hopes of talking to or photographing players.
"Pen-ny! Pen-ny!" a group of women called out to Penny Haradaway as he swished a 3-pointer. He looked over briefly to smile and wave. "What's up? How ya'll doing?" he said.
"We miss you in D.C., Chris!" they yelled to former Washington Wizards forward Chris Webber, who now will play for the Sacramento Kings.
The lockout, which has resulted in cancellation of nearly half the season, was on everyone's minds.
"I don't care who's right, I just want them to come back and play," said Daran Kaufman, 18, of Ventnor, hoping to get a shot of New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing.
"When I first heard they were going on strike, I said, Ah, too bad," said Radame Rivera, 11, of Philadelphia, who was given one of thousands of complimentary tickets through a Big Brothers-Bg Sisters program. "The players should get a little less money, I think."
Some said the charity game might push negotiations between the owners and players a step closer to resolution.
"The lights, the music, the crowd. They miss this," Davis said.
Die-hard NBA fan Joyce McCall, 63, of Atlantic City said the league will lose fans with each day the lockout goes on. She has already begun enjoying college basketball more, and her interest will continue even if the lockout is resolved, she said.
"I used to go to Sixers games but I got tired of sitting up in the nosebleeds. But we won't be sitting in the nosebleeds anymore if they keep this up," she said.
David Cohens, 26, of Port Chester, N.Y., who stood at courtside during warmups wearing a yellow Los Angeles Lakers game jersey, said he'll stay true to the NBA, no matter what happens in the lockout.
"They'll never lose me," he said.
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