Walt Williams Rumors

The owners, Williams believes, have an advantage, and the players should be aware of what they’re up against. “Most owners have other businesses that they derive income from,” he said. “But for the players, even your off-the court income comes from what you do on the court. The owners are tight. The players have to be prepared for the worst if it come to that.” But in the end, it will have to come down to reaching a compromise. “We fought tooth and nail, but in the end, we thought we came out with a good compromise,” Williams said of the 1998 lockout. “This time, just like with us, neither side is going to get everything they want. But they’re going to have to find something both sides can live with.”

Williams, who grew up in Temple Hills, played at Maryland and spent two years as a Washington Wizards broadcaster after retiring from the NBA in 2003, believes that many of the issues are the same today as they were during his playing days. “During our lockout, the owners were basically trying to get a bigger piece of the pie, and we weren’t trying to give it up,” Williams said. “They were trying to squeeze us, get more revenue, stop us from changing teams, lower the salary cap, limit what we could earn. Back then, they also said that a lot of team were losing money. We didn’t believe it for a second.”