I started on this mission to dig into One and Done with two main goals in mind. The first was to shed light on the issues in a fact-based way, free from rhetoric and bias. For years the entire policy has been discussed in a way that obscures the facts, not clarifies them. The second is to have the policy viewed as more than an argument over what age to draw the line restricting players from entering the league. While I
After 18 roller-coaster months, the bumpy search for Billy Hunter’s replacement as executive director of the NBA Players Association seems ready to reach its conclusion. The drama will not end easily. Even a few days before the final candidate presentations and vote, turmoil reigns as different factions try to impose their respective wills on the process. What this excruciating process has exposed is that the search for the union head is really about who has control over the players. It’s certainly not the
The NBPA announced this week that the current search for the new Executive Director has been canceled, and they will have a “do over.” After more than a year of secrecy and controversy, the selection committee led by Board President Chris Paul finally realized that the search in its current form had no realistic chance of having a happy ending. The players were in the dark, the agents were near revolt, and the process would taint either of the two finalists
Danny Schayes is making his on-camera debut in this post, so make sure to tweet him at @DanSchayes and tell him how ugly he looks. But also make sure you congratulate him on making a strong point — and exposing the shenanigans that are going on at the Players Association as they search for a new executive director to replace the deposed Billy Hunter. As Schayes writes in his latest column, the two leading candidates for the post are going through an
There is a curious thing happening right now. As the search for the replacement Executive Director for Billy Hunter at the NBA players’ union drags into its second year with no end in sight, there is a tremendous void not being filled. The league and Commissioner Adam Silver, being bright and experienced, have decided to take this opportunity and fill it themselves. The missing element is the voice of the players. And their silence is deafening. As the NBPA office continues to shrink
Something I have noticed about the NBA: “The Game” is fighting a losing battle with those promoting the game. While that may sound a little confusing, it has become increasingly obvious that the promotion around the game is more important than the game itself. And this discussion looks very different depending on which side you are on. Last week LeBron James scored a career-high and team-record 61 points in a game. A few games later he lays an egg (by LeBron standards)
HOUSTON — Adios, Billy Hunter. Today, after the players’ union’s annual All-Star meeting, Derek Fisher announced that the National Basketball Players Association has terminated the employment of Hunter. Additionally, the union has elected new leadership. [Read more…]