"The NBA's labor battle is a few months away, but Tracy McGrady is keeping an eye on recent developments in the NFL.

"I'm paying attention, of course," he said. "I don't know all the details about how the players are coming together in the NFL, but like us, we all have to stay strong, stand our ground."

The NBA's players and owners met during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, and the tone was cordial afterwards. However, McGrady believes the public perception about the owners wanting an absolute, hard salary cap with no exceptions is false.

"The proposal that they have out here for us, it's really bull," McGrady said. "Some of the owners, (Lakers owner) Jerry Buss, the big-market owners, they don't want a scale-down."

The divide between the big and small markets is similar to Major League Baseball, and things are teetering dangerously toward a league of haves and have-nots.

"They're (big-market teams) not really losing money. I understand Milwaukee, Minnesota, they're losing money," McGrady said. "But that doesn't have anything to do with us - don't lowball us."

He cited the way owners were doling out huge contracts this summer, and at the same time claiming losses up to $400 million. Atlanta's Joe Johnson, an All-Star but not a superstar, signed a max deal this summer (six years, $119 million).

At the other end, former Piston Amir Johnson got a five-year, $34 million deal. Up until this season, he never averaged more than 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. In other words, nobody's forcing owners to offer these deals.

"You're the owner, you're the boss," McGrady said. "You come at us with a proposal with what we're worth, either you give that to us or you don't. It's up to you."

McGrady, like many players, has a problem with the NBA trying to take away what they've gained. The owners want a scale-back of $800 million, cutting salaries approximately by one-third. They also want to take away guaranteed contracts and trim the players' share of revenue, currently 57 percent."