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TL;DR version.... Derek Fisher called for an audit of the NBAPA. The 8 others players on the executive committee voted unanimously for him to resign. They claim they arent happy with pretty much anything he has done or said in the past year.The executive committee consists of Fisher, Evans, Keyon Dooling, Roger Mason Jr., James Jones, Matt Bonner, Chris Paul, Theo Ratliff and Etan Thomas.
The power struggle between National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter and NBPA President and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher has escalated, with the NBPA executive committee calling for Fisher's resignation.
By Seth Wenig, AP
After calling for an audit of the union's finances, NBPA president Derek Fisher, left, suffered a stinging rebuke from executive director Billy Hunter and the rest of the executive committee.
By Seth Wenig, AP
After calling for an audit of the union's finances, NBPA president Derek Fisher, left, suffered a stinging rebuke from executive director Billy Hunter and the rest of the executive committee.
Last week, Fisher called for an audit and business review of the association's finances but this week was rebuked by Hunter and the rest of the executive committee, comprised of nine players, including Fisher.
The NBPA released a statement late Friday afternoon asking Fisher to resign and accused him of conduct "detrimental to the union."
"On Wednesday, April 18th, the NBPA Executive Committee cast an 8-to-0 vote that it lost confidence in Derek Fisher's ability to act as Union President and requested Derek's resignation," the statement read. "The Executive Committee based its decision on numerous instances over the past six months where Fisher engaged in conduct detrimental to the union, including acting in contravention of the players' best interests during collective bargaining, declining to follow the NBPA Constitution, and failing to uphold the duties of the Union President. To avoid further damage to the NBPA and its 450 members, the Executive Board again calls for Derek's resignation.
"The NBPA performs annual financial audits and shares the results of those audits with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at its annual meetings. The NBPA completed a financial audit in February and will share the results of the audit with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at the union's summer meeting. Additionally, the NBPA conducted two business reviews following the negotiation of the 1999 and 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreements, and with the support of the entire Executive Committee, the union will conduct another business review in a timely manner. We hope for a swift and complete resolution to these issues."
Washington Wizards guard-forward Maurice Evans addressed the controversy Friday after the Wizards' shootaround.
"From the end of the lockout to now, we he have been dissatisfied with his actions," Evans told reporters Friday. "There have been a number of actions that have been questionable and that have lost him the confidence of the board. …
"So we've asked Derek to resign his position and allow us to separate from the union and leave with his integrity and all the good things that he's done before this thing gets messy because that's not what we're about."
At Oklahoma City's shootaround in Sacramento Friday, Fisher told reporters he will not resign.
"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?"
In a statement released later Friday through his publicist, Jamie Wior, Fisher reiterated that he would not resign.
"I, along with may others, are extremely disappointed with the Executive Committe," Fisher said in the statement. "Their demand for my resignation and their need to protect NBPA management and their own best interests instead of protecting the players we were elected to serve is unfortunate
"I have tried to convey the legal and moral obligations we have as union officers. Sadly, the Executive Committee has now waged a personal character attack on me to divert attention from the real issue: The truth."
Evans said an audit was conducted in February, apparently not to Fisher's satisfaction.
The issue between Hunter and Fisher began during the lockout. The two alternately were not always happy with messages the other delivered publicly and privately at times. For the most part, they kept any disagreements in-house.
However, last week, the clash resurfaced when Fisher sent an e-mail to players informing them he wanted an independent audit and review of the NBPA's finances.
Hunter fired back days later in an e-mail to the executive committee saying there was no need for an independent audit and review because one had just been completed. The executive committee voted 8-0 asking for Fisher's resignation.
Evans' wish to prevent this from turning messy may be too late.
"It's been a series of calls, starting last week with Derek trying to initiate a business review and audit of the union," Evans said. "But he did that without the consent of the board, and no one player, even the president, has more responsibility or power than other players. It's joint decisions that are made, and no one on the board supported that decision, and we feel that we should handle whatever allegations we have against the union, against Billy Hunter or Derek Fisher for that matter, internally.
"We've given Derek the respect in the past. Everything that was alleged during the lockout, we pulled him in and handled those matters internally. We don't feel like Billy was given the proper respect."
Evans said Fisher was invited to speak on a conference call with the executive committee to express his concerns, and the rest of the executive committee members could express their concerns.
"It was disappointing that he refused to come on the call," Evans said.
On Friday, Fisher did not address directly his concerns, but Evans said the committee members had specific questions for Hunter regarding nepotism, misappropriation of funds and lockout strategy.
"We all took part in the lockout strategy as well, so therefore, we're just as much responsible for any decision made during the lockout," Evans said. "But as far as the nepotism and misallocation funds and any other supposed, alleged questions, Billy answered those questions to our satisfaction, was very open and candid with us, and we were very satisfied. And again, the players were disappointed because Derek has yet to address us, the players."
The NBPA files a labor organization annual report with the United States Department of Labor. It is a standard report, detailing salaries, expenditures, assets and liabilities, receipts and disbursements, accounts receivable, loans receivable, sale of investments and fixed assets, purchase of investments and fixed assets and investments, fixed assets and other liabilities. The last report filed covered July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
The executive committee consists of Fisher, Evans, Keyon Dooling, Roger Mason Jr., James Jones, Matt Bonner, Chris Paul, Theo Ratliff and Etan Thomas.
Fisher is in a difficult position. Hunter is beloved by several executive committee members. During an interview last summer, Dooling told USA TODAY Sports that Hunter is an inspiration and someone he admires greatly.
"It seems more like a personal vendetta," Evans said of Fisher's quest for an audit.
Evans said Fisher was not in Orlando during All-Star Weekend when the union was meeting to discuss ways to improve the organization.
"Again, there was no president there," Evans said. "I had to take on those responsibilities because again, he chose not to participate. There have been a number of actions we're trying to handle internally as best we can."
The executive committee was scheduled to meet via teleconference Friday. It is not known if Fisher participated.
"It calls my leadership into questions in some ways, in terms of not being able to put certain controls in place," Fisher said. "I'll take the hits and the negative comments that may come or whatever may happen. But it won't take away or distract me from doing what I feel is best for all of our players.
"This is not about me. It's about our membership. So I won't lose focus of that idea. I'll continue to push for what I feel is right for our players."
The power struggle between National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter and NBPA President and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher has escalated, with the NBPA executive committee calling for Fisher's resignation.
By Seth Wenig, AP
After calling for an audit of the union's finances, NBPA president Derek Fisher, left, suffered a stinging rebuke from executive director Billy Hunter and the rest of the executive committee.
By Seth Wenig, AP
After calling for an audit of the union's finances, NBPA president Derek Fisher, left, suffered a stinging rebuke from executive director Billy Hunter and the rest of the executive committee.
Last week, Fisher called for an audit and business review of the association's finances but this week was rebuked by Hunter and the rest of the executive committee, comprised of nine players, including Fisher.
The NBPA released a statement late Friday afternoon asking Fisher to resign and accused him of conduct "detrimental to the union."
"On Wednesday, April 18th, the NBPA Executive Committee cast an 8-to-0 vote that it lost confidence in Derek Fisher's ability to act as Union President and requested Derek's resignation," the statement read. "The Executive Committee based its decision on numerous instances over the past six months where Fisher engaged in conduct detrimental to the union, including acting in contravention of the players' best interests during collective bargaining, declining to follow the NBPA Constitution, and failing to uphold the duties of the Union President. To avoid further damage to the NBPA and its 450 members, the Executive Board again calls for Derek's resignation.
"The NBPA performs annual financial audits and shares the results of those audits with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at its annual meetings. The NBPA completed a financial audit in February and will share the results of the audit with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at the union's summer meeting. Additionally, the NBPA conducted two business reviews following the negotiation of the 1999 and 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreements, and with the support of the entire Executive Committee, the union will conduct another business review in a timely manner. We hope for a swift and complete resolution to these issues."
Washington Wizards guard-forward Maurice Evans addressed the controversy Friday after the Wizards' shootaround.
"From the end of the lockout to now, we he have been dissatisfied with his actions," Evans told reporters Friday. "There have been a number of actions that have been questionable and that have lost him the confidence of the board. …
"So we've asked Derek to resign his position and allow us to separate from the union and leave with his integrity and all the good things that he's done before this thing gets messy because that's not what we're about."
At Oklahoma City's shootaround in Sacramento Friday, Fisher told reporters he will not resign.
"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?"
In a statement released later Friday through his publicist, Jamie Wior, Fisher reiterated that he would not resign.
"I, along with may others, are extremely disappointed with the Executive Committe," Fisher said in the statement. "Their demand for my resignation and their need to protect NBPA management and their own best interests instead of protecting the players we were elected to serve is unfortunate
"I have tried to convey the legal and moral obligations we have as union officers. Sadly, the Executive Committee has now waged a personal character attack on me to divert attention from the real issue: The truth."
Evans said an audit was conducted in February, apparently not to Fisher's satisfaction.
The issue between Hunter and Fisher began during the lockout. The two alternately were not always happy with messages the other delivered publicly and privately at times. For the most part, they kept any disagreements in-house.
However, last week, the clash resurfaced when Fisher sent an e-mail to players informing them he wanted an independent audit and review of the NBPA's finances.
Hunter fired back days later in an e-mail to the executive committee saying there was no need for an independent audit and review because one had just been completed. The executive committee voted 8-0 asking for Fisher's resignation.
Evans' wish to prevent this from turning messy may be too late.
"It's been a series of calls, starting last week with Derek trying to initiate a business review and audit of the union," Evans said. "But he did that without the consent of the board, and no one player, even the president, has more responsibility or power than other players. It's joint decisions that are made, and no one on the board supported that decision, and we feel that we should handle whatever allegations we have against the union, against Billy Hunter or Derek Fisher for that matter, internally.
"We've given Derek the respect in the past. Everything that was alleged during the lockout, we pulled him in and handled those matters internally. We don't feel like Billy was given the proper respect."
Evans said Fisher was invited to speak on a conference call with the executive committee to express his concerns, and the rest of the executive committee members could express their concerns.
"It was disappointing that he refused to come on the call," Evans said.
On Friday, Fisher did not address directly his concerns, but Evans said the committee members had specific questions for Hunter regarding nepotism, misappropriation of funds and lockout strategy.
"We all took part in the lockout strategy as well, so therefore, we're just as much responsible for any decision made during the lockout," Evans said. "But as far as the nepotism and misallocation funds and any other supposed, alleged questions, Billy answered those questions to our satisfaction, was very open and candid with us, and we were very satisfied. And again, the players were disappointed because Derek has yet to address us, the players."
The NBPA files a labor organization annual report with the United States Department of Labor. It is a standard report, detailing salaries, expenditures, assets and liabilities, receipts and disbursements, accounts receivable, loans receivable, sale of investments and fixed assets, purchase of investments and fixed assets and investments, fixed assets and other liabilities. The last report filed covered July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
The executive committee consists of Fisher, Evans, Keyon Dooling, Roger Mason Jr., James Jones, Matt Bonner, Chris Paul, Theo Ratliff and Etan Thomas.
Fisher is in a difficult position. Hunter is beloved by several executive committee members. During an interview last summer, Dooling told USA TODAY Sports that Hunter is an inspiration and someone he admires greatly.
"It seems more like a personal vendetta," Evans said of Fisher's quest for an audit.
Evans said Fisher was not in Orlando during All-Star Weekend when the union was meeting to discuss ways to improve the organization.
"Again, there was no president there," Evans said. "I had to take on those responsibilities because again, he chose not to participate. There have been a number of actions we're trying to handle internally as best we can."
The executive committee was scheduled to meet via teleconference Friday. It is not known if Fisher participated.
"It calls my leadership into questions in some ways, in terms of not being able to put certain controls in place," Fisher said. "I'll take the hits and the negative comments that may come or whatever may happen. But it won't take away or distract me from doing what I feel is best for all of our players.
"This is not about me. It's about our membership. So I won't lose focus of that idea. I'll continue to push for what I feel is right for our players."
