The NBA Players Association (NBAPA) said yesterday that it plans to file a grievance against the NBA over the recently announced fines for ‘flopping‘. The NBAPA doesn’t seem to be taking a stance one way or the other on the act of flopping and the specificity of the guidelines to curtail it, but instead is choosing to focus on the ‘process’ the NBA took to develop the guidelines.
“The NBA is not permitted to unilaterally impose new economic discipline against the players without first bargaining with the union,” executive director Billy Hunter said in a statement.
Earlier Wednesday, the NBA announced a new fine schedule for flopping, the practice of tricking the official into calling a foul by exaggerating contract. Under the guidelines being challenged by the union, the league said players would receive a warning for the first flop, followed by fines of $5,000 for the second offense, $10,000 for the third, $15,000 for the fourth and $30,000 for the fifth. Beyond that, players would be subject to increased discipline at the league’s discretion, including higher fines and/or suspension.
All punishments would be handed out after possible flops are reviewed on video after the game
Hunter called the new rules “without precedent in our sport or any other sport,” and characterized the penalties as “a vague and arbitrary overreaction and overreach by the commissioner’s office.”
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, “Although we haven’t seen any filing from the Players Association, our adoption of an anti-flopping rule is fully consistent with our rights and obligations under the collective bargaining agreement and the law.”
My guess is the NBA has the legal authority to implement the change, but either way David Stern can’t be thrilled with the NBAPA using these new fines to ‘prove’ a point that they can’t be ignored in the policy making process where it affects players. Billy Hunter also has to be happy he can focus on the process and not spend his time trying to get a consensus on the actual guidelines. I can’t imagine the likes of Manu Ginobili or Anderson Varejao would have the same view on the matter as an Ivan Johnson.
(Quotes via CBS Sports)
