It seems after weeks of inactivity, the NBA owners and players' union are ready to get serious about negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

The two sides sat down for negotiations Wednesday for just the second time since the NBA lockout took effect July 1. The top negotiating teams for both sides met at a Manhattan hotel to re-open talks at the request of NBA commissioner David Stern.

According to the Associated Press, the bargaining session included San Antonio Spurs owner and head of the labor relations committee Peter Holt, deputy commissioner Adam Silver and Stern on the owners’ side. The players were represented at the meeting by union executive director Billy Hunter, union president and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher and attorney Ron Klempner.

It doesn’t seem realistic that much ground would be made up in one meeting with the two sides being so far apart on critical issues such as revenue sharing, salary and salary cap. But they have to make up serious time if there is any hope of getting the issues resolved prior to the start of training camps in just over a month.

Most believe that at least part of the 2011–12 season will be lost due to the lockout while there is a distinct possibility of the entire season being wiped out. The interaction between the two sides so far lends little hope the lockout will end in time to start the season as scheduled. After meeting for the first time Aug. 1, the two sides set a plan to meet several times before the end of the month. It should be noted their first and only meeting since came on the final day of the month.

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris

(Photo: Associated PressAP)