Rajon Rondo: Players are united and decertification is an option – NBA Update
NBA super star Rajon Rondo has revealed that players reserve the right to decertify if NBA owners are not serious about bringing the lockout to an end. The Boston Celtics playmaker also dispelled the notion that the players weren’t
united.
The NBA has locked out its players for over 4 months now due to a labour dispute. The owners and players have been negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for over a year and a half but so far the major issues remain
unresolved.
In the early days of the NBA lockout, rumours were about that players would decertify the union in order to sue David Stern and NBA owners in federal court. The National Basketball Players Association though rejected the idea,
which was believed to be orchestrated by player agents.
Now though with NBA owners showing what Billy Hunter, executive director of the union, called “bad faith” in negotiating, decertification is back on the table.
"If I had to, yes," he said in an interview published by the Boston Herald. "It's a possibility with the way things are looking. But it's day by day in this situation. You really don't know what's going to happen next.”
Various reports have come out in this regard, with sources suggesting that many players have participated in at least two meetings via conference call to discuss anti-trust laws under which they would sue owners.
Other reports have suggested a rift between the NBA players. It has been reported that many players are fed up with the lockout and want the union to just take any deal on the table.
Rondo, who agreed with part of the reports, rejected any notion that players aren’t unified.
"I've read a couple of the comments about how the players aren't unified, but I think we're doing a pretty good job of sticking together," said Rondo. "Guys are bored. They're anxious to play.”
He stressed that some of the younger players might let impatience get the better of them, because of a lack of experience, but overall the players presented a firmly united group who are ready to fight for what they believe to
be fair.
"It will be fine. It's the first time the young guys have been through something like this. We just have to be patient and do what we have to do. It's not just us that we have to worry about - it's the players who will be in the
league in another four or five years that we have to think of."
The NBA and players are reportedly set to meet one last time this weekend and if a resolution is not reached, which is very likely, the union could decertify and sue the owners.
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