Apparently it is not enough for LeBron James to rest atop the basketball world. He wants to lead the NBA Players Association, too.
Heady stuff for the game’s best, but James said to ESPN.com that he could be the guy to right the broken union.
“I just think the union is going backwards, and it’s not in a good place right now,” he said to the website. “I think my voice could be huge in that situation.”
The players have been paying close attention to the union–with many unhappy–after a lockout in 2011 and bad relations between its former executive director Billy Hunter and president Derek Fisher. Play resumed two years ago with the owners getting more of the BRI (basketball-related income) than players wanted to relinquish, making it a deal perceived as unfavorable for the players.
Hunter eventually was fired after a scandal involving nepotism allegations and Fisher’s term ended after the season.
The new contract runs up to 2017, when either side could opt out and initiate new talks for a refurbished deal
“I’m not sure I have the time to do it, but it’s something I’m going to think about with my team and go from there,” James told ESPN.com. “But I think we all can agree there’s been a lot of transition in our union in the last couple of years. If it’s not me in that seat then I hope it’s someone who is comfortable with it and can do the job.”