Derek Fisher Reportedly Asked to Resign As NBPA President
A potential war is brewing between the two biggest powers in the National Basketball Players Association.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that NBPA executive director Billy Hunter wants five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher out as president:
"With Billy Hunter pushing, the NBPA Executive Committee has called for Derek Fisher's resignation as president, sources tell Y! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) April 20, 2012"
Update: Friday, April 19 at 5 p.m. EST
The NBPA is not happy with Derek Fisher. As the two parties have battled, the NBPA has stepped it up a notch, in the form of a Twitter rant.
Go to the NBPA's Twitter page to find out how much the NBPA dislikes Fisher.
Update: Friday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m. EST
Fisher responded to the NBPA's efforts to oust him as president on Friday, per SI.com:
""I do and have always taken my job as president of the players' association very, very seriously. And anyone or any group who questions my intentions in any decisions I've ever made that I felt were best for our players I think need to step back for a moment and ask themselves this: Why would I try and ask certain questions and call into review the association that I'm the president of unless I thought there were some serious questions that needed to be answered, things that I, as president, aren't satisfied with?"
"
Fisher added that he will "take the hits," but it won't distract him from doing what he believes is best for the players.
So, why does Hunter so desperately want Fisher, who has over two years remaining on his deal, to step down at this juncture? Wojnarowski explains:
"After Fisher pushed for audit of union's business, power struggle ensued. Fisher's refusing to step down, vowing a fight, sources tell Y!
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) April 20, 2012"
Trust seems to be the main culprit here. According to the report, Fisher collected a group of players to challenge the business and financial practices of Hunter, and will be fighting this to the bitter end.
A feud had been brewing for months, but things really heated up last week, when Fisher convinced the executive committee to tally enough votes for an independent auditor to review Hunter and the rest of his regime. Meanwhile, Hunter was able to persuade the eight-person committee to turn on Fisher.
Now lawyers will be getting involved, according to the report:
"Hunter had his legal team send a brief memo to players Tuesday night, telling them the audit – that had initially been voted upon Friday – had been cancelled. Y! Sports obtained the memo.
"The executive committee recognized that the review was unnecessary since there had been a recent independent audit of the NBPA's finances which raised no issues," the memo said.
"
And who makes up this committee?
Clippers guard Chris Paul, Wizards guards Maurice Evans and Roger Mason, Celtics guard Keyon Dooling, Spurs forward Matt Bonner, Hawks forward Etan Thomas, Heat guard James Jones and Lakers forward Theo Ratliff.
They are the ones stuck in the middle of this ugly battle, and will be forced to pick a side.
It’s a fluid situation that is just beginning. This is a fight that could potentially divide the powers that be in the NBPA.
Stay tuned.
