Chauncey Billups takes a stand against agent induced decertification – NBA Update
New York Knicks man Chauncey Billups is not one for decertification of the player’s union, especially not when the major force behind it are player agents. Billups believe it is for the players to decide what course they want to
take, not the agents.
Billups is a veteran of 14 years in the NBA and is widely respected by most around the league. He has gone right to the top and he has seen the downside as well. Now his role is that of the elder statesman in the New York Knicks
roster, but Chauncey is also one outside of the court.
The agents have long been rumoured to be pushing for a union blow-up. As early as the lockout began, there were noises made that the players should decertify as soon as possible. Many agents are of the view that the owners have
already decided not budge from their demands. They argue that therefore the logical course open to the players is decertification which would allow players to take the NBA into a federal court.
Although NBA Commissioner David Stern has indeed continued to play hardball so far, NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter continues to emphasize that the players are not thinking about a decertification. There is also a theory that
the agents just want to get more power through a decertification, where they can then have more influence of their clients with the union no longer present.
Chauncey Billups has his reservations one way or the other, but without pointing fingers he has said that the agents should stay out of the labour negotiations. Billups is of the view that the issue is between the players and the
NBA, and not between the agents and the NBA.
"I felt like this thing is really between the players, our union, and the owners," Billups said in a telephone interview given to ESPN on Tuesday. "That's been my stance. I'm not saying agents are not important at all. I love my
agent and we have a great relationship. But this is not really between the agents and the owners. We shouldn't be persuaded to decertify by somebody who shouldn't be doing any persuading. I expressed that to some of the guys and they agreed with me, and that's
why we have such great unity right now in the union."
That’s why Chauncey has been going around getting a hold of NBA players and telling them to firmly stand behind the union. Billups is not bent against a decertification, but he believes that the union should first exhaust the negotiations
before taking such an extreme step.
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