Billy Hunter encourages players to go overseas – NBA Labour Dispute Update
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), which is the NBA players union, has encouraged its members to go abroad in order to play basketball. The move comes as a measure against NBA and its Commissioner David Stern,
who has locked out the players till a new Collective Bargaining Agreement or CBA, is agreed to.
The old CBA expired on June 30 and the owners want a new one with drastic changes that would significantly reduce the salaries and benefits, that the player enjoyed in the last one. The players understandably wanted to retain the
old system with minor changes and also showed a willingness to make some concessions.
Negotiations have stopped since the lockout began and now the NBPA has openly suggested to its players that they should look for work abroad, meaning that the union is expecting the lockout to last for a considerable amount of
time.
In a letter posted to 450 players of the NBA, Billy Hunter said,
“If the owners will not give our players a forum in which to play basketball here in the United States, they risk losing the greatest players in the world to the international basketball federations that are more than willing to
employ them.”
The move is a significant step and could be aimed at gaining leverage for the formulating of a new CBA. The players want to send a clear message to the owners, telling them that they are ready to battle it out until their demands
are met.
Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets is the biggest name so far that has agreed a move to Europe. Williams will play with the Turkish club Besiktas next season. He does have a get out clause in his contract though, in the event
that the lockout ends and play begins in the NBA. Hunter also stressed the importance of the get out clause to the players.
Apart from Williams, some other huge stars have also expressed their interest in playing abroad because of the lockout. These include Los Angeles Lakers super star Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Finals MVP
Dirk Nowitzki who is under contract at the Dallas Mavericks.
Billy Hunter in his letter, stressed the importance of keeping united and strong in the face of a lockout that he believed the owners have enforced to pressure the players to accept their unfair demands,
“This lockout is intended to economically pressure our players to agree to an unfavourable collective bargaining agreement,” Hunter said “It is important for owners to understand that there may be significant consequences to their
decision to put their own players in these difficult economic circumstances.”
Tags: