NEW YORK -- Basketball-related income and total player compensation each increased by 4.8 percent in the NBA this past season.
The league said Friday that, with the union, it had completed the 2010-11 season audit. Players are currently locked out after the two sides failed to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement. One of the issues is what percentage of basketball-related income players should be guaranteed.
Basketball-related income increased from $3.643 billion in 2009-10 to $3.817 billion. Total player compensation increased from $2.076 billion to $2.176 billion.
The increase was 1 percent the previous year and 2.5 percent two years ago.
The average player salary this past season was $5.15 million. Over the six years of the expired CBA, the average salary increased by 16 percent.
Friday was the 22nd day of the lockout. The union has frequently questioned the league's financials, acknowledging losses but not anywhere near what the NBA has stated.
The players had offered to give up $100 million in salary costs annually in a proposal for a new five-year deal, believing that was more in line with the true losses. Commissioner David Stern called that offer "modest."
The league projected losses of $300 million last season after losses of several hundred million dollars in each season of the CBA, which was ratified in 2005.
The union has said the NBA projected a decline in revenues for 2009-10 but they actually rose, so the final losses should have been much less than the league said.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.