The entire NBA basketball season appears in jeopardy after commissioner David Stern cancelled the first two weeks of the 2011-12 campaign.
Stern wiped out all scheduled regular season games through to November 14 after several hours of meetings on failed to deliver a new labour deal.
Stern says the last-ditch effort to end the lockout and begin the season on time failed because the two sides are miles apart on a number of key issues that need to be resolved.
All of the NBA's 114 pre-season games have already been cancelled by the contract dispute.
The owners locked out the players on July 1 when they couldn't reach a deal before the expiration of the old collective bargaining agreement.
The NBA's opening night was scheduled for November 1.