NBPA Begins Decertification Process

Players have begun the process of authorizing the decertification of the National Basketball Players Association.

The move is meant as a countermeasure if the league locks out players when the collective-bargaining agreement expire in June, sources said.

Players for at least two NBA clubs have voted unanimously to authorize decertification after meeting with NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter, sources said.

If the NBPA were to decertify, it would essentially operate as a trade organization but cease to be a union. If the league then tried to lock out players, the NBPA could sue the NBA under U.S. antitrust laws and contend that the league was conducting a group boycott, which is illegal.

?If the owners are going to lock the players out, the players want to have the option of decertifying the union and asserting their antitrust rights to stop the lockout,? said a source close to the NBPA. ?This would keep the game going, not just for the fans but for the players and everyone else.?