The parking lot outside the Berto Center was nearly empty Wednesday, with only a few tire tracks cutting through the light snow that dusted parts of Deerfield.

Those tire tracks belonged to members of the Bulls' coaching staff. No players were around preparing for what would have been the Bulls' home opener against the Washington Wizards at the United Center, one of hundreds of games canceled because of the NBA lockout.

But there is no basketball, and there won't be for at least another month, with talks between the players' union and owners breaking off again Wednesday without any semblance of an agreement. The Bulls, who were to open the season in Cleveland on Tuesday, should have been basking in the fans' adulation during their sixth ring ceremony.

It would have been interesting. How would the crowd have reacted to Tim Floyd? Would Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman have been in street clothes, retired, or in uniform, going after title No. 7? Would Scottie Pippen have been there? Phil Jackson? How long would the ovation for Jackson have lasted?

Normally a game day for the Bulls would have begun at roughly 8:30 a.m., with the coaching staff arriving at Berto Center to watch film of the Wizards and of the Bulls against the Cavaliers on Tuesday. The players would come in a couple of hours later to view film and shoot around on the Berto Center floor.

Perspectives

  Players:

         Toni Kukoc

         Scott Burrell

  Coaches:

          Bill Cartwright

          Jim Wooldrige

          Frank Hamblen

  Administration:

          Jerry Krause

          Tex Winter