National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts’ salary declined to $1,472,222 this past fiscal year compared with $2,850,000 the year before, according to the annual report the union filed with the U.S. Department of Labor.
A source said the reason for the reduction in Roberts’ salary was she did not collect a bonus in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The NBPA and Roberts declined comment for this story. The dollar amounts reflect the NBPA’s fiscal year, which begins July 1 and ends June 30.
Details of the report come as Roberts is set to soon step away from her position. She told The Athletic last week that she plans to retire after negotiations to establish a salary cap for future years and before she turns 65 next September. “I made a promise to my 40-year-old self that I was not going to die behind my desk,” Roberts said. She also said she favored a succession plan and that a search for her successor will resume.
Roberts was first elected to a four-year term in 2014 and re-elected to another four-year term in 2018. News that the NBPA was hiring a search firm to seek a successor for Roberts first emerged in December 2019, and on March 6 of this year, the NBPA formally announced that the union would begin the search for a successor to Roberts.
But then the coronavirus hit and the NBA suspended the season on March 11, putting the succession plan on hold. Roberts, along with NBPA player president Chris Paul and the player leadership, negotiated a deal to return to play in what has been a coronavirus-free bubble. Now union leaders must sort out how to deal with a shortfall in revenue. Revenue from the previous year determines the salary cap the next year in normal times.
In the March 6 statement announcing the start of a succession plan, the NPBA said it was working with international law firm Dechert LLP and global executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles to identify and evaluate candidates. The NBPA paid Dechert $280,887 in legal fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, according to the annual report, known as an LM2. The union paid Heidrick & Struggles $253,521 between Oct. 25, 2019 and March 1, 2020.
Despite the coronavirus, economics at the NBPA improved over the last fiscal year. Assets increased 13.9% from $203,855,006 to $232,175,758. Net assets increased 23.9% from $116,871,713 to $144,843,606. Liabilities increased slightly from $86,983,293 to $87,332,152. Most NBA player members received licensing checks of $128,473 for licensing revenue earned for the 2018-19 season.
The union also amended its bylaws so its fiscal year will now end Sept. 30 instead of June 30.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
