Rip Hamilton has threatened to leave longtime agent Leon Rose if the representative doesn't pull off of his push for decertificaton as a next step for the players' union in the NBA lockout, reports EPSN's Chris Broussard. Hamilton was Rose's first major NBA client; Rose, who has deep ties with William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, now also represents LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, among others.
But it's Hamilton's long relationship with Rose, not his stardom, that makes this noteworthy. Rose is one of seven agents from six top agencies who sent a letter to players on Monday essentially counseling those clients to stick to their guns on givebacks in lockout bargaining and to demand enough time to fully review the collective bargaining agreement before voting on it. Rose is also one of the agents reportedly clamoring for decertification of the union, something the union leadership has heretofore resisted.
NBA lockout talks broke off on Tuesday. Commissioner David Stern has set a Monday deadline for a deal to save the first two weeks of the season.
UPDATE: Hamilton tweeted that the report is "100% UNTRUE."
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decertify now
If I were the union I would decertify. If I were the union, I would have decertified a long time ago. As is, Stern and the owners are simply biding their time waiting for enough players to start missing enough paychecks. The union is at a distinct disadvantage here. Instead, the union should be willing to burn down the mission, decertify and put this into the courts. Want to see some rich owners who feel they can renege on an agreement they signed with the union get really really nervous? Let this issue fall into the lap of a federal judge. The owners would suddenly tell Stern to take a leap and develop a sudden sense of urgency to close a deal so that we can get back to being on the court, instead of IN the court.
by wolfman55h on Oct 5, 2011 3:43 PM EDT reply actions
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