No one wants to pick up the phone
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No one wants to pick up the phone
It's likely I could have come up with a more newsy headline for this blog, something like "Lawyers for NBA players consolidate lawsuits," but it really seemed like the biggest piece of news coming from today's 45-minute news conference was that the lawyers for NBA players just do not feel like picking up the phone to call the NBA.
Despite anti-trust lawyer David Boies clearly stating that most suits "ought to be settled" rather than litigated, he said he wouldn't be the one reaching out first to NBA commissioner David Stern. And why not? Because he doesn't see the point in it. Boies said that since the union dissolved last week, and filed two anti-trust suits (now consolidated into one), neither side has reached out to the other. Another week of the NBA season gone.
Here are the nuts and bolts of what came out of today's conference with Boies and former union chief Billy Hunter: the players have pulled their lawsuit from California and consolidated with one of the original lawsuits filed in Minnesota. Now the players have one lawsuit on the docket. Boies said he feels this will expedite the process. He said he believed the case would receive a hearing next week because this week, with the Thanksgiving holiday, would be pushing it.
Before the news conference had even ended, the NBA responded to the news.
“We assume that Mr. Boies was not happy with either the reassignment of the case from Oakland to San Francisco or the fact that the new judge scheduled the first conference for March 2012,” said Rick Buchanan, NBA Executive Vice President and General Counsel, in a released statement. “This is consistent with Mr. Boies’ inappropriate shopping for a forum that he can only hope will be friendlier to his baseless legal claims.”
During the news conference, a reporter read this response to Boies, who basically said, "Why would I pick up the phone and call the NBA when they clearly haven't changed their position."
--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
Spoiled brats taking their balls and going home.— JBP- Who cares— Eagle GREEN Mt State
- IVE GROWN FROM BEING AGAINST THE PLAYERS, TO TOTAL DISRERARD FOR THEM. I HOPE THEY GET TOTALLY SCREWED NOW. THEY ARE LIKE A BUNCH OF CHILDREN WHO WANT THEIR OWN WAY ALL THE TIME.LISTEN,ITS ONLY BASKETBALL.OK? THESE GUYS GET PAID TONS OF MONEY TO PLAY A GAME FOR GODS SAKE. THEY ARE GROSSLY OVERPAID AND NOW THE GIG IS UP.GET IT GUYS? ITS OVER.THE OWNERS PUT UP MILLIONS OF DOLLSARS SO THAT U HAVE A FORUM TO MAKE THIS MONEY.ITS THE OWNERS LEAGUE,NOT THE PLAYERS.OWNERS HAVE A RIGHT TO MAKE MORE MONEY THAN PLAYERS,OWNERS TAKE ALL THE RISK. IF THE PLAYERS DONT LIKE IT,GO TO EUROPE AND PLAY.PLAYERS STOLE MONEY FOR YEARS,NOW ITS DONE. DONE! TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.GET OUT OF OUR FACE.— bob attitude
- League is history, Kate you better learn football— davi
- Kate, Pat Summit called. She wants to ask you a question. Never mind.— Drew777
- The NBA needs a year or two off.— hoyaray
- I hope Kate has a backup plan this season.— MattPSU
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
