LOS ANGELES (AP) The possibility of a long lockout in the National Hockey League influenced the NBA's decision to extend its collective bargaining agreement through the 2004-05 season, commissioner David Stern said Saturday.

``Frankly, the likelihood that the NHL was going to shut down for at least a season if they could not solve their problems ... was an element in our decision to exercise the option and run the deal for another year,'' Stern said at his annual All-Star news conference.

Stern also announced that the NBA and the players' union reached a preliminary agreement to scrap a rule barring veterans from the first five days of training camp next season. In exchange, players would be guaranteed a five-day break - rather than the current four - over the All-Star break.

The commissioner also restated his desire for an age limit and predicted that a recent federal court ruling in the Maurice Clarett case, allowing the Ohio State running back to enter the NFL draft, would be overturned on appeal.

Union director Billy Hunter, citing the success of Cleveland's LeBron James, reaffirmed his stance that the league's current age limit is adequate. American players may not enter the NBA draft until their high school class has graduated, while foreign players must turn 18 prior to the draft.

``If a 14-year-old tries to come in, you and I are going to be joined at the hip,'' Hunter said to Stern.

The league's Board of Governors voted in December to extend the collective bargaining agreement for one season, even though it gives players a 57 percent share of basketball related income instead of the current 55 percent.

Hockey's collective bargaining agreement expires Sept. 15, and commissioner Gary Bettman has said change is needed. The NHL recently released a report by former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Arthur Levitt Jr. saying its 30 teams combined for $272.6 million in operating losses last season.

No bargaining sessions have been held since Oct. 1, and there is a widespread expectation that the sport will have an extended shutdown.

``There may be a windfall for the NBA because there is probably not going to be any other game in town,'' Hunter said.

On the subject of reaching a new collective bargaining agreement of his own, Stern said the players had been given an outline of ideas that the NBA would like to include in the next labor agreement. A detailed response is expected in the next four months, and Hunter said the union would like a new agreement to be reached before the start of the '04-05 season.

The NBA went through an eight-month lockout in 1998 and 1999.

``I would anticipate that in the event we don't reach an agreement in the next year there's a strong possibility that we might be locked out again,'' Hunter said. ``We've both been down that road before, and it's not very comfortable.

``That's the last thing I want to experience again,'' Hunter said.

Stern also said he was awaiting a report studying the feasibility of expanding to Europe.

``I think we'll have a pretty good interim idea in the next six to nine months whether it is something we should move full speed ahead on,'' the commissioner said.