CHICAGO – Rumors began circulating today that the NBA lockout may soon be lifted, reminding fans across the nation that professional basketball still exists. If the meetings between league officials and the players’ union continue to progress, the 2161-2162 season will be salvaged and NBA games will take place for the first time in 150 years.

The lockout began in 2011 and was expected to last for a few months. However, talks broke down between the two sides, and season after season was canceled, forcing players to look elsewhere for employment. Many got jobs as high-school basketball coaches, others were hired to “reach shit on the top shelf.” LeBron James, the league’s most prominent and polarizing star at the time of the lockout, shocked the country when he decided to attend Northwestern University as an undergraduate in the fall of 2030; he claimed to have chosen the school because “it didn’t have a fourth quarter.”

With all of these players passing away decades ago, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would really care about the NBA. Media analysts say that even if the league makes its return this winter, it will have a tough time competing with major-market sports like hover-NASCAR.

Still, legal representatives of both the players and the league will meet again today to discuss things like a minimum salary for robots and dunking on zero-gravity courts. “It’s nice to see everyone cooperating and working towards bringing professional basketball back on top,” said NBA Hall-of-Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who’s still alive for some reason.

In related news, Brett Favre spoke to reporters Monday about another potential NFL comeback. The 192 year-old Pro Bowl quarterback recently retired for the 40th time.