NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter wants players to have their own league – NBA News
After the player association decertified the union and filed two antitrust lawsuits against NBA last Monday, the executive director National Basketball Player Association (NBPA), Billy Hunter, has fired another salvo at the NBA.
Hunter is of the view that given the uncertain situation of the labour dispute, the players can start their own league, which will not only keep them in the game, but will also go a long ways in making up for the money they are
and will lose due to the lockout.
The player cannot use their franchise facilities and courts during the lockout, but Hunter suggested that the players can use alternate venues;
“Maybe we can start our own league. There are facilities where we can do that. Can't play at MSG but can play at St John's... There’s talk of getting a TV deal and creating a new league but it’d have to be with a network that’s
unafraid to cross the NBA."
The player league that Hunter has suggested is not a new idea though. The concept has been doing round in the players circle for quite some time. Last month, Amare’ Stoudemire, the ace power forward of the New York Knicks, also
dished out the same suggestion in an interview with Sporting news.
"It's just a matter of us strategically coming up with a plan, a blueprint and putting it together. So we'll see how this lockout goes. If it goes one or two years, then we've got to start our own league." Stoudemire had said at
that time.
At that time, Stoudemire’s suggestion was considered as a pressure tactic by the NBA owners; however with the next NBA season in doldrums now, this may prove to be the way forward. The players had already given up a lot in the
Collective Bargaining Agreement and with the 1/12th of their salaries already lost, they have nothing to lose.
If the union can come up with a black and white plan to organize such an event and take the players on board, the owners might not be left with any other option but to surrender their demands.
After all, it is the players, who are the product of the game, not some greedy businessmen.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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