Breaking: NBA Lockout Ends, 66 Game Season to begin on Christmas Day

Early Saturday morning, after a 15 hour bargaining session and a 149 day lockout, NBA commissioner David Stern and representatives of the owners and the players of the NBA announced that a tentative deal has been struck that calls for training camps to open on December 9, and an abbreviated 66 game season to begin with games on December 25, Christmas Day.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but sources close to the participants reported that the deal calls for the players to receive a share of between 49-51 percent of revenue — which is 6-8 points lower than the 57% that the players turned down before the latest round of negotiations yielded the current result. The deal still must be ratified by both owners and players.

NBA Players who commented by Twitter and Facebook reactions were unanimous in expressing relief and excitement over the prospect of the NBA season finally getting underway.

Stern said the deal is “subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations, but we’re optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin Dec. 25.”