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NBA won't be missed that much

As players and team owners of the National Basketball Association bluster and posture, and a league-imposed Jan. 7 deadline for a settlement nears, how many people really care?

A few years back, when the government shut down, Americans complained. They didn't want their checks and services to stop.

During the UPS strike, there was a lot of grumbling about inconvenience.

Aside from the people whose lives are directly linked to the NBA -- including concession workers, parking attendants, etc. -- there is not apt to be much of an outcry if the pro basketball 1998-99 season is declared kaput.

The nation is loaded with entertainment. And although Michael Jordan and his friends are popular, it is too easy to shift to another attraction or distraction. Even the big-time bettors are finding other events on which to wager.

If the two sides of this ''labor'' dispute want to find fault, they had better be ready to share. They all have millions to lose.

In light of their current fiasco, they might find a reduced number of millions to divide come next season.

Or so we could hope.