Case in point:

http://www.theknicksblog.com/2011/10/12/video-amare-talks-about-the-future/I'm very glad to hear him talk about starting a new players league.  I'm glad to hear Stoudemire not being intimidated by the task, and talking with his fellow players about it. 

That's because Amar'e is a ballsy competitor.

Now, over at theknicksblog, commenters are talking about how naive Amar'e is, and how impossible it would be for mere players to start a basketball league.  I am tremendously glad, but not surprised, that Amar'e does not share this fatalistic view.

It's kind of like in Godfather part II, where that old, corrupt don is shaking down Deniro's shop.  So eventually it goes too far, and Deniro gets together the smartest and strongest of his friends, and they take the fucker out.  The NBA owners, or at least enough of them, are weak.  They've failed at making a profit for their franchises, not because it's impossible, but because they have made dumb decisions.  Several of the new owners have paid prices for their franchises that are simply too high, and they don't have the financial flexibility to weather it.  So their only business is extortion of the players, to try to enact new rules in their favor.  And when the players union actually offered them a significant concession, instead of being grateful, they said no, we want more, and we'll put our arena workers out of work, and we'll take the fans' loyalty for granted, all so that we don't have to accept the consequences of our shitty basketball decisions.

You're right, Amar'e.  You need a blueprint, but you've got the essential things for starting a basketball league: The best basketball talent.  A good reputation.  Friends with money and power.  This can be done, Amar'e, and I'm glad you're smart enough to realize that.

At the very least, if the owners get the idea that this could actually happen, and that you actually have the balls to do this, they will change their tune in a big hurry.