WHAT'S BEHIND NBA LEGAL ACTION AGAINST UNION, AGENTS?

     In Boston, Peter May examines the recent lawsuit and unfair
labor practice charged filed by the NBA, which allege that the
NBPA and at least six top agents are working to retract the new
CBA.  May reports the NBA "feels the union is being run by the
same agents who headed the decertification movement and are
unhappy with the new deal."  The league also suspects new union
leadership of "backing away" from the CBA.  The "hot-button
issues" are the salary cap and group licensing.  The "side issue"
is the role of agents Frank Catapano, Arn Tellem, Ron Grinker,
David Falk, Steve Kauffman and Mark Fleisher -- with all but
Catapano on the Agents Advisory Committee that pushed
decertification.  There are also 10 "John Doe" agents named.  NBA
Exec VP/Legal & Business Affairs Jeffrey Mishkin:  "The union
used to regulate the agents -- now it's the agents who want to
control the union."  Grinker:  "It sounds like payback time to
me."  Catapano called charges the agents are running the NBPA
"unequivocally untrue" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/17).