Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph backs players association in labour talks: NBA Update
Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph has shown his great support for the National Basketball Player Association over ongoing talks with the NBA owners.
These talks are now entering in a crucial phase where both these parties have to come up with something positive to resolve the issue, if they are serious in saving the next NBA season. NBA has already cancelled the training camps
and the preseason games.
Randolph recently gave a telephone interview in which he spoke about the ongoing labour talks and showed his complete support to the players union.
Randolph said, “If that's a sacrifice we have to make (in order) to make it better for the future then, yeah, I'm OK with it, I'm definitely prepared financially. I sent a text to Billy Hunter two weeks ago and told him he has
my full support, I'm definitely supporting the union. And we all should. This is something I've never been through so it's frustrating, but all of the players should stick together. We changed the culture around here; we’re going to have our fans.”
Randolph, who has recently signed an extension in his contract with the Grizzlies, is entering in its 11th NBA season. He missed the players association’s regional meeting on Tuesday. And despite he was not present at
that meeting, he showed his complete support to Derek Fisher and union’s executive director Billy Hunter.
Last week, Randolph also played a charity match for Drew league in an Indy Pro Am game against the Goodman League and hoping to return back in Memphis in the coming week. Zach Randolph also mentioned in that particular interview
about his physical fitness as he is keeping himself busy working out and ready for the season.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) owners and the Players Association has recently had two meetings but no development was made regarding solving the issue. The main thing that is causing the talks is the stubbornness of
both parties on several clauses. The owners do not want to eliminate certain clauses which were suggested in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
On the other hand, the players association does not accept these particular clauses and forcing the owners to eliminate those clauses. When the last CBA was expired on July 1st the league authorities locked out its players
as the players association and the owners were failed to sign on the new CBA on time. The new CBA contains several new clauses which were not acceptable to the players association. The owners suggested a hard salary cap and less revenue share from the NBA’s
entire income.
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