Michele Roberts is a smart person. You don’t go from being a public defender to major law form partner to becoming the first female head of a major professional sports union without having a healthy combination of savvy, smarts and substance. So what was she doing last week when she told ESPN that the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, with its maximum salaries, age limit and rookie salary scale, is “un-American?” (And by the way, that “un-American” comment clearly struck a nerve with
Those who thought David Stern’s retirement would remove the bombast in collective bargaining between the NBA and its players association underestimated Michele Roberts. The veins may not be popping out of the temples; the face may not be as menacing as Lord Voldemort’s; the sound level may not be at Metallica decibels; but the new head of the players association made it clear again last week that Stern’s absence will make negotiations no less adversarial. Roberts repeated criticism of certain elements of the current
Prediction season is almost in full swing, and here is one from me: Kobe Bryant is going to compete for the NBA scoring title all the way into April, and he might just win it. In fact, if I had to pick a favorite, I’d pick the Mamba. With all due respect to Kevin Durant, no one has been more of a pure scorer in the NBA longer than Kobe. Yes, the guy is 37 and is coming off a major knee
Michele Roberts, the person, believes an age limit that keeps 18-year-olds out of the NBA is un-American. She also believes a maximum salary in a thriving industry is abhorrent. And she feels a system set up to prevent owners from overspending is flat-out ludicrous. Again, those are the opinions of Michele Roberts, the person. Not Michele Roberts, the new boss of the National Basketball Players Association. In her new job, max salaries, salary caps, luxury taxes and age limits are economic realities
FUBAR, Excruciating, Manipulated. These were all terms that I used to describe the search for the new Executive Director of the NBPA. The process that was used to replace Billy Hunter was full of twists and turns, intrigue, and uncertainty. It lasted way too long and was managed clumsily. There was a vote that wasn’t, then a do-over when word circulated about a seemingly forced outcome. At the end of the day the final vote was done hastily amid protest. Then, against
Today the NBA announced that the earth has shifted on its axis. The long-awaited new TV deal has been disclosed. Although it has been anticipated for a long time, it still makes the eyes water to think about a $24 billion dollar deal. It makes deep-pocketed people all over America think one thing today: Why didn’t I buy a team 5 years ago when I could have paid only $200 million? With the disclosure of the details of the contracts, many things
The new executive director of the NBA Players Association has a lot of work to catch up on. It has been 18 months since Billy Hunter was forced out of the job, and the process of choosing a successor was long, arduous and contentious. What should be prioritized? The unresolved situation with Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Clippers? Preparing to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement in 2017, then hunkering down for a battle to try to get the players a greater
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