Stars Come Out In Manhattan: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett Headline NBA Lockout Meetings

The NBA's most important day of collective bargaining is well underway, and with the lockout threatening the regular season, superstars like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire, and Paul Pierce have all been spotted.

So far during the bargaining process, stars have come and gone, but the attendance today is the surest sign yet that the players are aware of the stakes surrounding Tuesday's bargaining session. As Jeff Zillgitt reports for USA Today, there are too many players to count at what's been called a "very huge" labor meeting. And it has to be considered a good thing for the players' union.

It's one thing for NBA owners to make threats and demands in the face of Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, and the rest of the players union, but saying it to the most recognizable faces in the game requires a whole different level of commitment to the cause. In other words, if owners are serious about sabotaging the season in the name of protecting their profits, then they can say it to Kobe's face.