NBPA’s Executive Director Billy Hunter talks lockout and decertification – NBA Update
The Executive Director of the players’ Union Billy Hunter recently spoke to reporters about the NBA lockout and the various options available to the players, including decertification of the league. His comments hold special importance
considering that the owners and players are set to meet again on Thursday.
The union and the NBA owners met on Wednesday in New York to restart negotiations over the ongoing labour dispute, which broke down last Tuesday when the players and owners both came out of a meeting in a pessimistic fashion.
They did not immediately schedule further meetings and held discussions among themselves last Thursday. The meeting on Wednesday was held without the leadership of both sides being present. NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy
Commissioner Adam Silver will though be present on Thursday. So will Billy Hunter and NBPA President Derek Fisher.
Ahead of the meeting, there are many theories going around the media as to consider what exactly are the options available to the sides and what concessions, if any, will be made during the meeting.
Hunter believes both sides will try and make all efforts necessary to reach a deal, simply because that is the best outcome for both. It is especially relevant given the strong season the NBA just had, where attendances were high
and TV ratings were even higher.
“Coming off the year we had the past year, it’s ludicrous not to try to reach a deal,” Hunter said.
Hunter revealed that the owners have to make some kind of concession in order for the process to move forward. Both sides clashed over the salary cap issue the last time, but the overall economic equation is also just as troublesome
a matter.
From the players’ perspective, the owners have just been making too steep a demand. NBA Commissioner David Stern wants the players to relinquish the 57 percent of BRI they currently get and come down to somewhere in the 40’s.
“The problem is they’ve anchored themselves so far away,” he said of the owners. “You can’t anchor yourself at $900 million dollars. And now I’m supposed to negotiate toward you?”
So far, Hunter has stayed clear of mentioning a decertification of the union in order to file lawsuits against the NBA. That was the path followed by the players in NFL though and in the end it did get a deal done, though outside
the courts.
Therefore, Hunter isn’t ruling anything out,
“I refuse to treat decertification as a game,” he said. “I won’t take it off the table because it’s still a last resort. But that’s not what I have in mind at the moment. If we end up decertifying, it means we’re through talking
— and that’s not going to be good for anybody.
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