NBA teams to open facilities to players Thursday

After a long lockout, the National Basketball Association will open its doors Thursday for teams to hold voluntary workouts.

The move comes after last week's announcement that the players and owners had reached a tentative deal to end the league's months-long lockout.

The season, that was scheduled to have begun November 1, will now start Christmas Day.

Team owners locked out players in early July as the two sides tried to hammer out a new agreement. The sometimes bitter battle lasted 149 days.

One of the main sticking points was a split in revenues that owners said was unfair.

They sought to change the old revenue-sharing arrangement that gave players 57% of the revenue. The new deal offers a virtual 50-50 split.

Training camps will open December 9, and the season will be 66 games instead of the usual 82.

A previous lockout in the NBA lasted 204 days -- from July 1998 to January 1999 -- before a new collective bargaining agreement was reached by both sides.

Source: CNNSPORTS