10 reasons to be happy the NBA lockout is over

Most of my comments about the NBA lockout have been disparaging, or basically saying that the NBA can stay away for as long as they want.  I stand by those comments.  I'm a Celtics fan, not really a fan of the NBA.

But now that they're scheduled to begin the season on Christmas, I'll share 10 reasons to be happy the lockout is over.  It's actually a chore coming up with 10 reasons (I scratched out three while I was playing poker yesterday; #'s 2,4,5).  Here goes...


1.  Dallas gets to hang their banner on Christmas - in front of the Miami Heat.  As a Boston Bruins fan, seeing their first banner of my lifetime lifted to the rafters was a great moment.

2.  Employees and peripheral businesses affected by the lockout can begin to recover lost income.  This is probably #1 in priority, since average people earning a paycheck and businesses staying afloat outweigh rich people fighting over collective bargaining guidelines and revenue splits.

3.  Seeing billionaire owners demonstrate how fragmented they are as a group, and how little financial restraint some of them have when it comes to paying for mediocre players.  These collective bargaining sessions have been as much about owners versus other owners as they have been owners versus players.  Neither side, owners or players, is a truly united front.

4.  Great players nearing the end of terrific careers (Garnett, Pierce, Nash, Kidd, Nowitzki, and yes Kobe) are only deprived of 16 games.

5.  Blake Griffin.

6.  Young players not named Blake Griffin (Derrick Rose, John Wall, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Stephen Curry) can be truly fun to watch.

7.  Fantasy basketball (I don't play fantasy sports, but I'll throw it out there).

8.  Something else to bet on.

9.  Who gets waived under the "amnesty clause" in the new CBA, and do they make a difference playing for new franchises?  If last years NBA Finals taught us anything, it's that a deep team can outlast a team with a few superstars and a poor supporting cast.  "Amnesty players" could add much needed depth to championship contenders.

10. We can all go back to rooting against the Miami Heat.