NBA CANCELS PRESEASON SCHEDULE

On the eve of the scheduled start of training camps, the NBA yesterday
officially canceled its entire 114-game preseason schedule because of
a labor stalemate with its players. And with less than a month
remaining before the start of the regular season, the league said
decisions about cancellation of those games could come as soon as next
week.

The regular season is scheduled to begin Nov. 3, and the bargaining
committees for the league and the players' union will meet in New York
on Thursday for only the second formal bargaining session since the
league imposed a lockout July 1.

NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said he doubted that anything that
happens during Thursday's bargaining, short of "some miracle," would
affect how many regular season games might be canceled next week.
Granik said two weeks ago that unless a deal is reached by the middle
of this month, it is doubtful any games would be played before the
first of the year.

"If, by some miracle, we started making some progress, that might
affect what we feel we have to cancel, and I have no reason to feel
optimistic right now," he said last night.

The league insists any new collective bargaining agreement must
include an inflexible ceiling on team payrolls, or a hard salary cap.
Union chief Billy Hunter said last week that a Sept. 24 offer from the
owners filling in financial terms and other proposed changes in the
labor agreement will make it even tougher to resolve the dispute.

In its 52-year history, the NBA never has canceled games because of a
labor dispute.

Meanwhile, many of the locked-out players, including some members of
the Washington Wizards, will be at their teams' workout or practice
facilities and arenas today. Some of the Wizards will be outside the
Modell's store at MCI Center for a 12:30 p.m. news conference after
which they will sign autographs for fans, the union said.

National Basketball Players Association spokesman Dan Wasserman said
that forward Juwan Howard, a member of the union's executive
committee, had assured him that he and at least six other players -
Rod Strickland, Mitch Richmond, Calbert Cheaney, Gheorghe Muresan, Ben
Wallace and Ledell Eackles - will be there.

Players also were expected to appear at news conferences and autograph
sessions outside practice facilities or arenas in New York, Atlanta,
Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Portland, Ore., Houston, Denver, Miami,
Philadelphia and Charlotte.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry