LAWSUIT!
The Players take on the Sternbot in the ultimate court…of law!
There’s been a little bit of noise the last few months about this new ball that the NBA is using, and also some stuff about the referees calling more technical fouls than they used to call. I don’t know, you may have heard a little something about it?
(OK, assuming the worst, that you know nothing about anything of this, read this post and this post and then come on back. Done? Let’s move on.)
So the Player’s Association wasn’t the happiest labor organzation in the world, OK? Then, a few weeks ago Billy Hunter and the NBA Players signed a deal with a supplement company without consulting the NBA, and the NBA wasn’t very happy about that. (We covered that here.)
Earlier this week, David Aldridge wrote that the players were still pretty upset about the whole thing, but that a lawsuit was “a longshot.”
Bang!
Late today the NBA Player’s took that longshot and filed two unfair labor practice charges against the NBA. The two beefs? The new ball and the refs gone wild. According to the AP story, the players think they can win because of a clause in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement…
The union feels it was entitled to have input on both changes before they were put into play. The section of the collective bargaining agreement titled On-Court Conduct, states, in part:
“Prior to the date on which any new rule promulgated by the NBA becomes effective, the NBA shall provide notice of such new rule to the Players Association and consult with the Players Association with respect thereto.”
Look, I’m no lawyer, but even to me it doesn’t really seem like the players have much of a leg to stand on here. They’re mad about two things, and I understand that, but neither of those things are “new rule”s; to me the ball is an equipment issue, and the refs thing isn’t a rule change but a change in the interpretation of a rule.
I spoke with an NBA executive tonight and he agreed that the Player’s don’t really seem to have much of an argument here, but as he said, “The Players will certainly use this against the owners in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
What happens next? I have no idea. I’m sure writers and others who know more about the legal system will weigh in. (This is like Chad Ford’s perfect storm.) As for me, I’m going to watch the Hawks/Cavs game.
We’ll check back in on all of this tomorrow and see what’s up…
27 Responses to “LAWSUIT!”
Dec.1 at 9:21 pm
Ryan Jones says:
This is RAD.
Dec.1 at 9:27 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Do you mean that graphic I made? Thanks!
Dec.1 at 9:32 pm
mutoni says:
i love the nba. if i could, i would have sex with it. (wait, scratch that)
Dec.1 at 9:55 pm
TheHype says:
I’ll take NBA [-3] over Player’s Assc. What the 3 means, I have no idea
Dec.1 at 10:19 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
Did you really make the picture with the scale? Nicely done.
Dec.1 at 11:17 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Yeah, did it in Photoshop.
Dec.2 at 12:13 am
Ryan Jones says:
I wonder if potential advertisers are ever discouraged when they look at these comment threads and see the majority of them come from SLAM employees. I really hope they don’t scroll down this far.
Dec.2 at 1:27 am
Garrett says:
Do you guys even talk in person any more or is it just all through posting in The Links?
Dec.2 at 1:47 am
stevep says:
i dont work for slam, im just a loyal reader. there that should help a little with attracting potential advertisers.
Dec.2 at 2:04 am
mutoni says:
i thought it was all about page views, ryan. besides, i would be more concerned about the types of annoying (and repetitive) comments made by people like triple x–though he has stopped of late.
Dec.2 at 2:06 am
Lang Whitaker says:
Apparently the LeBrons don’t mind…
Dec.2 at 5:17 am
Clement says:
Haha, you guys are jokes…
Dec.2 at 8:21 am
FLUD says:
Dudes, this site has the best sports related malarky EVER. The NBA seems awfully slick from a legal standpoint. The players will get slapped in the face…again. It’s good for their image to kick up a fuss though. On a side note… that whole ‘first!’ thing is pretty lame. Not that I won’t do it myself sometime. it was the best of times, it was the blurst of times??
Dec.2 at 12:14 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
After looking at your logo, i feel like i should watch “Only In America”?
1
Dec.2 at 2:58 pm
Colin says:
The sad thing is I feel that the players should have had some kind of input on these issues. Didn’t Spalding pay the NBA tons of cash to use the new ball? So isn’t the league selling out to make money instead of using a good ball that its players like?
Dec.2 at 3:02 pm
dj says:
Actually, ESPN Insider is reporting that the new ball causes small, paper-cut like scratches on the hands of players. If so, they might have something to go on. http://www.deadspin.com/sports/nba/players-sue-for-their-right-to-bitch-218841.php
Dec.2 at 7:16 pm
Frodo says:
KG is under-rated! He should be considered among the best players ever!!!!!
Dec.2 at 7:18 pm
BETCATS says:
OOOOOOOOOOOOO paper cuts are gonna make some multi millonaires cry. Man i would trade my job at Wal-Mart puttin food and toys in peoples bags for giant ass cuts accross my hands if i where promessed any NBA player’s salary.
Dec.2 at 7:42 pm
Frodo says:
True words. Although I am worried that the ball is affecting KG’s and Kirilenko’s performances.
Dec.2 at 8:34 pm
BETCATS says:
I never knew the hobbits would agree with a black person
Dec.2 at 8:49 pm
Darksaber says:
Here we go, Stern and his minions must be bored already after a solid month of Nba balling. The next “shocker” gets pulled out of the hat. This kinda reminds me of a soap. Hunter’s creek anyone? or maybe it’s the cliffhanger episode of law & Order - the stern years… Get over it already players, Darth Stern isn’t changing a THING. Get used to the new league u earn your gazillions in. Shut the traps, stop grabbing the nether regions after tip dunks and no more stockings for you Dwyane. (but the body armor is still a’ight bro)
Dec.3 at 2:26 pm
A.I. says:
Considering This if you look at the scores of the games every night I think the average is higher than before(correct me if am wrong), from what i see a lot of times the scores are over 100 or near,and there are some scoring sprees by players. Because of the ball i dont realy see anything to bad happen(from my point of view)
Dec.4 at 1:36 am
Boing Dynasty says:
R.I.P Jose Calderon’s ankles.
1
Dec.4 at 11:56 am
ajpenny says:
I think the term “rule” will be the major point of interest. Because you’ll have to determine what is a rule and if that can seperate from “rulings”. To me its common sense that the new ball and the ref thing are “rulings” which set a precedent for a rule.
I think that it is terrible that such a wonderful game has to have its future determined in a court/arbitrator’s room all b/c of attitudes and endorsements. At time’s I’m glad I never made “the L”, don’t get it twisted the $ would be great, but from a pure ballers satisfaction stand point, you can have more FUN at the YMCA.
Dec.4 at 3:40 pm
» The Links: Lawsuits, Artest vs. Kings, Tony Parker is the Anti-Christ? - SLAM Online says:
[…] To me, this is a big deal, a huge story. So I hustled through dinner and walked home to read about it and see what the deal was. I wrote a post but…nobody else had written anything. […]
Dec.5 at 2:37 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Dammit, now I want to sue somebody.
Dec.11 at 6:04 pm
» Deck the Balls with Boughs of Leather! - SLAM Online says:
[…] And then one fine Friday afternoon, a man showed up at your office and handed you a lawsuit. Really? A lawsuit? Yes, a lawsuit. The players couldn’t take it any more, and that damn Billy Hunter and the Player’s Association went to the courts to get a new ball. Friggin’ Hunter. Why couldn’t we handle this like men and fight this out in the parking lot, you thought. Hunter would be no match for your superhuman robotic strength. You’d break him, just like you did Gourdine before him and Grantham before him. Still, the complaints kept coming. Shaq, Kidd, Nash — those wussies! Weird things happened — balls getting stuck between the rim and glass twice in a quarter, balls losing their grip after 15 minutes of dribbling, Vince Carter making jump shots. Whatever, you thought. This is my League, and the players don’t like the ball they can go play in the ABA. […]