First word from today’s union meeting: some players ready to cave to owners’ demands

We interrupt your otherwise barren, locked out NBA programming to bring a minor update from the Players Union meeting in Los Angeles today. JaVale McGee was one of apparently few players that attended today’s meeting, and spoke with SI.com‘s Sam Amick on his way out. Here are Amick’s tweets from L.A.:

Wizards’ JaVale McGee had another meeting 2 go 2. On way out out, says “Everybody knows we’ve got 2 get more people 2 come to the meetings.”

That, in itself, isn’t great news for Billy Hunter and the union. With David Stern puffing up his chest and imposing arbitrary deadlines all over the place, it’s more important than ever that all of the players are on the same page and working to maintain their collective stance. Lockouts breed dissension. It’s natural that with cashflow stopped and games being stricken from the schedule that the players side would get antsy, but meetings like this can help to clarify and reinforce the union’s message. That function was still served, but only to the apparently limited number of players who actually bothered to show.

More McGee: “There’s definitely some guys in there saying that they’re ready to fold, but the majority are willing to stand strong.”

This is nothing that both we and the owners didn’t already know; there will be players who just want to get the damn thing done already, who wear their t-shirts just like everyone else but slide closer and closer to the breaking point. That’s expected and natural. What’s not expected is that McGee would come right out and say it. Even knowing that JaVale McGee is JaVale McGee, this was a ridiculously foolish soundbite, and one that very clearly and directly betrays the interests of the NBPA. Smooth move, JaVale...unless you’re actually among the “some players,” and are ready to fold, in which case this was a surprisingly subtle and clever act of sabotage.

UPDATE (6:38 PM EST): Well, it didn’t take too long for JaVale McGee to hilariously try to issue a public dismissal. Shortly after reports from multiple journalists in L.A. began making the rounds, McGee tweeted the following:

I never said anyone is ready to fold! Media always wanna turn it!

Good one, JaVale. These aren’t reporters merely jotting down notes hurriedly on a notepad; there are any number of audio recordings of McGee saying those exact words. Those reporting McGee’s comments are among the most trusted in the business, and yet he still tries to discredit them with one of the oldest -- and most outdated -- tricks in the athlete’s PR book.

Another pertinent tweet on the subject came from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

Player who attended NBPA meeting in Los Angeles texts: “Don’t believe (JaValle) McGee.”

Take from that what you will.

UPDATE (7:04 PM EST): Just in case there was any doubt, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times has posted the audio from McGee’s press scrum.