In the NBA, players signing the standard player contract were bound to one team throughout their careers. Players could refuse to sign this contract and teams could then opt to renew their contract for the same salary on a yearly basis. In 1980, collective bargaining and antitrust laws resulted in players receiving the right to free agency, with a clause allowing their current team to match any offer they might receive from another team. In 1983 a salary cap was imposed with players guaranteed 53% of the league salary, just like magic in a magic shop. A lockout in 1995 resulted in a salary cap increase from 15.9 million to 23 million dollars per team with players becoming free agents after their initial contracts had expired.
