Where's LeBron James?

If you're wondering why we haven't seen any NBA highlights at this time of the year when we should be starting to get our first slam dunks, that's because the NBA season has not been allowed to start due to the players being on strike.

In a nutshell, the collective bargaining agreement expired earlier this year and no new agreement has been put in place. Once again, Americans have proven that they're incapable of reaching an agreement in a timely fashion just like in the NFL and with the debt ceiling earlier this season.

The first 2 rounds of the NBA have already been cancelled and it looks like more rounds will be cancelled with no agreement in sight. NBA players are starting to sign season-long contracts in Europe with the 2011-12 NBA season now likely to be a pipe dream.

It is all too easy to criticize the players for being greedy and delusional - they are after all one of the highest paid professional athletes in the world. LeBron James reportedly earns $240,000 per game even if he is injured, in addition to his sponsorship obligations with Nike which will earn him $90 million over 7 years. On average, NBA players earn $5.84 million per year.

Certainly well more than the average bloke stuck in a cubicle.

It is the main issue of contention with owners looking to make drastic cuts to the salary rolls by $2 billion over the next 10 years with a hard salary cap - 22 of the 30 NBA franchises incurred losses financially last season. Then there are other issues like stakes in the profits with players wanting a bigger share in the profits the league makes.

The NBA had one of its best seasons last season and this strike is quite untimely. The league is already losing money with this lockout and its image has taken a hit with more candid supporters slipping away.

The beauty of American sport is its focus on equality and stoking up competition. This is the dark side of that ethos.