NBA sues players' union
The American League accuses the association of not acting in good faith by putting unacceptable pressure on the negotiations for the new agreement.
247 – The fight between the NBA and the players seems endless. On Monday, the main American professional basketball league filed a lawsuit in American court against the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). The American professional league alleges that the union did not act in "good faith" and exerted "unacceptable pressure" in negotiations for a new contract. The NBA's decision to take legal action came shortly after a meeting held on Monday (August 1st) with the president of the NBPA, point guard Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA's action against the NBPA aims to ensure that the strike does not violate federal laws and good faith, further alleging that if the dissolution of the NBA monopoly were valid, the players' contracts would be null and void. While the saga between the NBPA and NBA continues, the players also struggle to resolve their futures. Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, two of the league's biggest stars, still have undecided futures. The only major star to change teams was Deron Williams, who signed a contract with Besiktas in Turkey. Kobe Bryant admits he'd play in any country: "I'm very relaxed. My phone is available and I hope it rings."
Since July 1st, all NBA activities have been suspended when franchise owners began a strike after failing to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The team owners, who claim to have lost over $300 million last season, want players to reduce the percentage of money they receive that goes towards paying salaries. Under the previous agreement, players received 57% of franchise revenue. Owners want this percentage reduced to 40% to make the NBA's financial and management system profitable, while the players' union, in its latest offer, was willing to lower it to just 54,5%. The league was scheduled to begin in November.