Stern: Decertification Likely Costs Season
For months, player agents have been pushing for the decertification of the union, a cry that drew more support following Thursday’s negotiating session, when it became clear that the NBA’s current offer was not substantially better than its previous one, which was rejected by an NBPA group meeting on Tuesday. (David) Stern said the threat of decertification is a strategic ploy that would jeopardize the 2011-2012 season.
“[it's a move] actually calculated to, one, [serve] as a tactic to improve their bargaining position and, two, as making it even more likely that there won’t be a season,” Stern said.
If the union did decertify, Stern predicted the move would backfire.
“If the union is not in existence, then neither are 4 billion dollars worth of guaranteed contracts that are entered into under condition that there’s a union, Stern said. “So if the agents insist on playing with fire, my guess is that they would get themselves burned.”
Asked if the NBA would employ “scab” players if the NBPA decertificed, Stern said simply: “I don’t want to go there now.”
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