NBA Players to Decertify, Season May Be Lost
If there was not enough pressure on the NBA and the player’s union to resolve the lockout this Saturday, some players of the league are looking to separate from the union that could result in the loss of an entire season.
The announcement for another attempt to resolve the lockout on Saturday also came with news that 50 players were seeking counsel concerning a decertification from the player’s union.
The players were frustrated with the proceedings that have resulted in the cancellation of one month of the 2011-2012 season.
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Among the players that participated in a conference call to receive information about decertifying from the league were Paul Perce, Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade, ESPN reported.
One source close to the network said the move might be necessary to ensure that players and fans get a season.
"It's an option," said the source. "We didn't ask for this. We want to play. If this gets us there, I'm all for it, because something's got to happen."
Derrick Fisher, NBA player’s union president and Los Angeles Laker, said he understood the players’ frustrations.
"Obviously, we're going to have individual members in individual sets of circumstances that want to get back to play. We want to get back to play,” said Fisher.
“But we realize the ramifications of agreeing to a bad deal at this moment. This particular collective bargaining agreement will forever impact the circumstances of NBA basketball players,” Fisher added.
However, he said it is important not to rush the process.
“We can't rush into a deal we feel is a bad deal just to save this season," Fisher said.
As a response, the NBA filed a federal lawsuit claiming “impermissible pressure tactics” were at hand that had a “direct, immediate and harmful” affect negotiations.
Bill Gould, former NLRB chairperson of the board, told the Los Angeles Times that the decertification could mean a cancellation of the entire 2011-2012 season.
"If the players decertify, you have to say that the odds are that there will be no season," said Gould. "I don’t think you can get definitive resolution from the court of appeals until January at the earliest."
The Saturday meeting between the league and the union will reportedly determine whether players will go through with the decertification from the league.
