The first two weeks of the 2011-12 NBA season have been cancelled as players and owners failed to come to an agreement on a new pay deal.
The long-running dispute involves the share of revenue given to players and the structure of the salary cap.
"Despite extensive efforts, we have not been able to reach a new agreement with the players' union that allows all 30 teams to be able to compete for a championship while fairly compensating our players," said NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver in a statement.
Owners and the players' union met on Monday for talks but an agreement could not be reached.
No further talks are currently scheduled.