(CNN) -- NBA players and owners have reached a tentative deal to end the league's months-long lockout, though details of the agreement have not been released.

"We've reached a tentative understanding that is subject to a variety of approvals ... we're optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin on December 25 -- Christmas Day -- a tripleheader," NBA Commissioner David Stern said Saturday. He did not detail who would play in the triple header, but said it's possible that 66 games will be played this season.

Derrick Fisher, president of the National Basketball Players Association, acknowledged the patience NBA fans during the 149-day lockout.

"Our fans and the support from the people and (their) patience through a large part of this process -- that's where a lot of this credit goes to, Fisher said. "The efforts that have been made have been largely with them in mind."

But more work lies ahead.

"What we have to do is obviously sit down with the litigants because it has to be solved in the context of litigation," Billy Hunter, executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, said in an early morning press conference with Stern.

Hunter declined to discuss specifics of the tentative deal, but said he and others plan to meet with lawyers later Saturday. He estimated a resolution could come in three days to a week.

Stern said he expects the labor relations committee and board of governors to endorse the tentative agreement and that a collective bargaining agreement would arise from the deal.

The NBA had canceled games through December 15.

Team owners locked out players in early July as the two sides tried to hammer out a new agreement. Stern has said the previous season was not profitable for most of the league's 30 owners, who are seeking a bigger share of league revenues.



http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/26/sport/nba-deal/index.html