News from December 27.

Players Association executive director Billy Hunter, PA president Patrick
Ewing, PA counsel Jeffrey Kessler, NBA commissioner David Stern, NBA
deputy commissioner Russ Granik, and special assistant to the commissioner
Bob Lanier met in the Denver airport for 5 hours on Sunday.  No agreement
was made on a new labor deal and the NBA said that they have made their
final offer.  The NBA has set January 7 as the drop dead date for the
1998-99 season - Stern will recommend to the NBA Board of Governors on
that date that the season be cancelled.  As usual, no new negotiating
sessions are currently scheduled.