NEW ORLEANS — What happened to the “love of the game” qualification in choosing a replacement for Billy Hunter?
David White of the Screen Actors Guild is one of the candidates who was interviewed by the NBA players’ union’s search committee here at All-Star Weekend, and he is reportedly the frontrunner for the job.
Again, I must ask: Are the players being played? I can’t see where Job Qualification No. 1 is being addressed.
In my opinion, the biggest reason that Billy Hunter was a bad Executive Director was that he was not a basketball guy. He didn’t love the game, understand the players well, and never knew the business that was the NBA. He was a prosecuting attorney who was used to confrontation.
The union announced early in the process of selecting a successor that it had a couple of must-haves. The first qualification was being a “basketball person,” someone who understood the game, the players, and the NBA business. The second priority was having someone who could work with the NBA in a partnership environment to grow revenue.
The union actually had two candidates in New Orleans to meet with the players. The other candidate is Michele Roberts, a nationally renowned litigator from the New York law firm Skadden Arps with extensive courtroom experience.
(RELATED: ARE PLAYERS BEING PLAYED IN SEARCH FOR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR?)
While both of these candidates have impressive resumes and current jobs, I get really concerned about a few basic things.
As I look at the candidates, as impressive as they are, I don’t find a hint of either of the must-have qualities. Both are lifelong attorneys, one a labor and employment lawyer and the other a professional litigator. I also didn’t find any reference to having an affinity for basketball, or having any relationship to the NBA. (Full disclosure: I have never met either of them personally.)
That deep love is the first thing needed to be a successful Executive Director of the NBPA. Players are complicated. The relationships between 450 players, 30 owners, hundreds of agents, team and league personnel take years of familiarity to master. Dropping someone in cold will guarantee a couple of years navigating the learning curve.
The business of the NBA is multi-faceted. While there are lots of legal issues, at its core it is a sports marketing business, not a legal one. A business mind is needed at the helm, not a legal one. Legal advisors should be part of the team, not the boss.
The Players Association announced today that they are “making progress” in the search for a new Executive Director. They issued a major press release that stated how they “discussed the background and strengths of various candidates, and agreed on an inclusive process that will allow all players the opportunity to participate in a final decision about the leadership of the NBPA in its next era.”
I applaud the union for seemingly making the process more inclusive, more transparent, and for taking the time to be thorough. I hope when it is all said and done they end up with what they want and need.
Whatever the outcome, they will live with the consequences for a long time.
Danny Schayes is a retired 18-year-veteran of the NBA, a professional broadcaster and soon-to-be-published author now penning NBA columns for SheridanHoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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