NBA, referees agree to two-year deal, ending lockout

[wanja]

NBA.com: NBA, referees agree to two-year deal, ending lockout

Posted Oct 23 2009 11:18PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA and its referees union reached agreement on a two-year contract, ending a lockout of more than a month and saving the league from using replacements when the season starts.

The officials ratified the deal that was reached earlier this week in a vote Friday night. No details of the vote were provided, nor were terms of the agreement.

"We are pleased to reach this agreement," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "The negotiations extended further than either side had hoped, but when our regular season tips off on Tuesday we'll have the best referees in the world officiating our games."

The referees union did not comment.

The referees will begin a three-day training camp Saturday and be ready when the regular season starts Tuesday. The league had been using replacement officials during exhibition play.

The contract between the league and the National Basketball Referees Association expired Sept. 1, and the league announced its was locking out the officials on Sept. 18, saying they had rejected its final contract offer.

The NBA decided to go with replacement officials late last month after the referees rejected a deal the league said its negotiators had already agree