DENVER — The dirty little secret being whispered around the NBA All-Star festivities is that this wonderful weekend might not take place next year.

Hardly anybody wants to talk about that as the league and the players' union prepare to increase talks on renewing the collective-bargaining agreement, but the possibility of a lockout became more real in the wake of the NHL canceling its season Wednesday.

"I think that's definitely in the players' mind," Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce said. "That's why we take this weekend to have our meeting and discuss the next step. We have to look at what happened in '98 (when the season was shortened because of a lockout) and what happened in the NHL and say, 'Hey, we can't take any more steps backward.'

"Watching what happened in the NHL, we're going to do something to make sure that there is a season next year."

At issue is the league seeking to reduce the length of maximum contracts from seven years to four. The union wants to modify the current deal as it relates to escrow and luxury taxes.

NBA commissioner David Stern also appears to have renewed passion about implementing an age limit at 20, which many believe is just a bargaining chip.

Neither Stern nor Billy Hunter, the union's chief executive, would guarantee that there would not be a work stoppage next season. Both said a lockout would be a difficult sell for a league still recovering from the bad publicity generated by a brawl between Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans at a game on Nov. 19 in Auburn Hills, Mich.

"In '98 it ended up being a bad deal for us, but these young cats better seriously think about what they're doing this time around," said Charles Oakley, a longtime NBA veteran who retired last year. "The union is less cohesive now than it was because you don't have the stronger guys and it's younger than ever before. These young cats are all about the dollar."

San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, swarmed by media from his native Argentina, could hardly contain himself.

Antawn Jamison was one of the last players to leave yesterday's media session and remained long after veterans such as Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal departed. Before walking out the door, the Washington Wizards forward turned and asked: "Does anybody need anything else?"

Then there was Wizard Gilbert Arenas. "You know, when you're growing up you think, 'I want to have my own shoe and I want to get to the All-Star Game,' but when you actually get there, it's amazing," he said. "I'm going to be excited when I see my own jersey, All-Star with my name on it.

"I got the ring they gave me. I'm going to wear it every day like a championship ring until I get a championship ring."

The other All-Star newbies include Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix, the Sonics' Rashard Lewis, Dwyane Wade of Miami and Cleveland's LeBron James.

• Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal apologized once again for his part in the melee in Detroit that caused him to miss 15 games while suspended.

"I think Ron (Artest) misses this, he wants to be here and if what happened wouldn't have happened, then he would be here," O'Neal said. "Nobody wanted that to happen."

• Kobe Bryant told West coach Gregg Popovich that his recent ankle injury is no longer bothering him. The Lakers had wanted him to play 10 to 15 minutes tomorrow, but yesterday said he could go longer if needed.

• James ended days of speculation by deciding to sit out the dunk contest because of a sore left ankle and a lingering flu. "I'm still a little sick and my ankle's still a little tender," James said. "I'm not getting as much lift as I know I can get off this ankle. I'll be there in attendance but I won't be participating in it."

• Denver Nuggets G Voshon Lenard was expected to miss the entire season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the season opener. But Lenard has progressed so well in his rehab that he's going to defend his three-point-shootout title today and is holding out hope that he'll be able to return before the regular season is over.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.