A collective bargaining meeting between a large group of NBA owners and players, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has ``failed to materialize,'' a league spokesman said.

The cancellation could be a negative sign in labor talks, coming less than a week after commissioner David Stern publicly downgraded his outlook for reaching a new agreement from ``optimistic'' to ``hopeful.''

A spokesman for the players' union said the league informed the players over the weekend that Tuesday's previously scheduled session wouldn't take place.

``They told us we won't be able to meet. They said they'd get back to us as to what the next step would be,'' union spokesman Dan Wasserman said.

Both David Stern and Billy Hunter are expected to testify in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday regarding steroids in sports.