NBPA Exec Dir MICHELE ROBERTS "still plans on stepping down from her post, but she has no idea when," so the search for her successor "has been postponed indefinitely," according to Gary Washburn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Roberts said, "My plan when I got this job was to do four years and split because I really do enjoy daydreaming about checking (things) off my bucket list. But what we had not done immediately upon that understanding was begin the process of finding a successor. It took almost two years after firing BILLY (HUNTER) to hire me, which is almost insane that it would take that long." Roberts added, "We kind of screwed up and really didn't get (the search) started. We finally got started and it was so unclear to us how long the process would take. ... We still don't know how long new negotiations will take." Roberts: "But I'm still out of here." Meanwhile, Washburn noted the NBA set Dec. 1 as a "target date" for the '20-21 season, but the NBPA "has not signed off on that and appears concerned about such a brief offseason." The NBA "would like to finish the season" prior to the Tokyo Games because it "wants NBA players to participate." But Roberts said, "There's some tough decisions that have to be made. The Olympics? I don't work for them. ...But it is not in my top five concerns to be able to protect the Olympic calendar" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/21).
