Basketball Union Boss Played Fast and Loose with Rank and File

Basketball Union Executive Director Billy Hunter managed to get his own contract approved without rank and file sanction, a violation of the union’s constitution.  And rank and file basketball players lost compensation and benefits during a 5-month lockout while Hunter kept piling on the riches.  That seems to just be the tip of the iceburg.  Adrian Wojnarowski has the story in Yahoo!Sports.com.

National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter and union general counsel Gary Hall failed to get proper player representative approval for a five-year, $15 million contract extension for Hunter in 2010, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

Players Association executive director Billy Hunter guided the union through last year’s lockout. (AP)The possible violation of the NBPA’s constitution raises questions about the legitimacy of Hunter’s contract and his future as executive director.

Three player representatives at the team representative meeting on June 24 told Yahoo! Sports that the issue of Hunter’s contract was never brought for a vote – nor its existence ever broached.

Hunter’s contract extension began on July 1, 2011, the first day the NBA’s lockout of the players began. While the NBA’s players began to lose salary and benefits in what would become a five-month lockout, the NBPA began paying Hunter on a contract that afforded him a $700,000 annual raise to $3 million a year.

As part of an ongoing probe, the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison has investigated the the business practices of the union under Hunter’s leadership. The Paul-Weiss report is expected to be released Thursday and explore multiple potential conflicts, including Hunter family nepotism. It is unclear if the probe will include findings on the veracity of Hunter’s contract.