NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter has been placed on indefinite leave, the first step in removing the embattled union chief from his position.
The news comes from both Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and the NBC Sports Network.
Hunter has been temporarily replaced by union general counsel Ron Klempner.
The driving force behind Hunter’s potential removal is union president Derek Fisher, who reportedly told Hunter of the rank and file’s decision Friday morning.
Wojnarowski’s report quotes a memo from Fisher that said, in part, “Unfortunately, it appears that Union management has lost sight of the NBPA’s only task, to serve the best interests of their membership. This is the reason I called for a review almost a year ago. The findings of that review confirm this unfortunate truth and we must now move forward as Players. Immediate change is necessary and I, along with the Committee Members, are committed to driving the process as difficult as it may be.”