Posted Aug 6 2009 12:14AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA and its players' association held their first collective bargaining talks Tuesday, meeting for 31/2 hours without exchanging any proposals.


The sides shared financial information and called the session "cordial and productive." They added they looked forward to sitting down again before the start of the season.
The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2011 season, but NBA commissioner David Stern and union executive director Billy Hunter decided on an early start to discussions with many teams struggling because of the economic crisis.
No deal is expected anytime soon. Stern has said the central issue will be the split in revenues, with the players currently collecting 57 percent.


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