NBA Commissioner David Stern yesterday said the league filed an unfair labor practice claim and lawsuit against the NBPA because "they’re not serious about making a deal with the NBA." Stern, appearing on the 6:00pm ET edition of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” last night via satellite, said, "They’re so busy talking about their decertification strategy following the leader, attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who did it for the NFL players, and in engaging in conversation with agents about it and talking about it constantly, that we think that is distracting them from getting serious and making a deal."
ESPN’s Jay Harris noted that Stern stated in May that “litigation is not appropriate to making a deal. What changed?” Stern: “The continued threats by the players of decertification. Our own view on that is if it’s going to happen, then let’s have it happen, let the courts decide … and let’s get on with it rather than the posturing that – in our view – is going on with the players” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 8/2).
Meanwhile, the Detroit News’ Vincent Goodwill wrote on his Twitter feed, “David Stern is making his case on national TV....just like a world-class litigator. … Who on the player's side has not only the ability to articulate their side but the charisma to sway public opinion?” (TWITTER.com, 8/3).
