Bill Guerin Urges NBA Players to Get Deal Done, Says Extended Lockout ‘Not Worth It’

Bill Guerin knows what's at stake for NBA players right now, and for any of the league's players who are ready to dig in and accept a lost season because of the lockout, Guerin has 9 million reasons as to why that's a bad idea.

Guerin recently spoke with the Dallas Star-Telegram (via ProBasketballTalk) about what he learned from the NHL lockout that cost the league to miss the entire 2004-05 season. His biggest message for NBA players going through the same thing was simple:

"Get a deal done."

The Wilbraham, Mass., native was one of the biggest advocates for the players during the NHL lockout, but he learned a costly lesson in the process.

"It is not worth it to any of them to burn games or to burn an entire year," Guerin told the Star-Telegram. "Burning a year was ridiculous. It wasn't worth me giving up $9 million a year, or 82 games plus the playoffs, then having a crappy year and being bought out. … Guys in the NBA are making $15 million or however much better think long and hard about this."

Guerin also said that he would have made concessions during the labor war had he known what he learned because of the lockout.

"When you are are in the heat of the battle, and you are fired up, you don't think what they are doing is right. But it's not about what is right or wrong — it's their league. It's theirs. I feel, personally, I didn't like guys giving up a year of their career, for what? A few less bucks? Guys are making more money than they ever have."