A year and a half after firing Billy Hunter, the National Basketball Players Association finally has a new executive director: Michele Roberts, a prominent Washington D.C. attorney.
Roberts is the first woman to head a North American pro sports union, but much of the buzz surrounding her selection has focused on the curious process the players undertook to replace Hunter. It included lengthy delays, the unexpected resignation of Kevin Johnson from the search committee days before the vote, a reported last-minute agent insurrection and the contentious appearance of retired player Jerry Stackhouse.
Association Vote
Association Vote
Emerging from the backroom drama, however, is a portrait of a formidable trial attorney. Roberts is a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, one of the country's biggest and most prestigious firms. According to her bio on the firm's website, she specializes in "complex civil and white collar criminal litigation." Washingtonian magazine called her, "the finest pure trial lawyer in Washington D.C."
Roberts has a slew of awards and commendations as well as several high-profile courtroom victories. She won acquittals for former Ken Starr spokesman Charles Bakaly on contempt of court charges after he was accused of leaking documents to the New York Times, as well as high-profile D.C. developer Douglas Jemal on bribery charges.
What makes Roberts unique is she got her start in the District's public defenders office. She argued 40 jury trials, including several homicide cases, rising to the position of Chief of the Trial Division.
Her most prominent case involved the gruesome 1984 murder of Catherine Fuller, a 48-year-old mother of six who was raped and killed in a downtown alley. Twelve people were accused in the crime and two were acquitted, including Roberts' client, who was shown to have an alibi. She reflected on the case in an interview with the Washingtonian:
"It was probably the case in my lifetime in DC that drew the most public ire against criminal defendants. I loved the client. It was frightening because I was convinced he was going to be convicted. The most courageous jury ended up acquitting my client. He's somebody I consider a son."
Roberts is coming to the NBPA at a most precarious point in its history. The players lost significant ground during the 2011 lockout, as their share of Basketball Related Income (BRI) fell from 57 to 50 percent, contract lengths were shortened and the luxury tax was strengthened to the point where it became a de-facto hard cap for all but a few high-spending teams. There are other issues left on the table, including raising the age limit, which has become one of new commissioner Adam Silver's main causes.
Following the 2011 lockout, the union ousted Hunter, alleging improper conducts and mismanaging conflicts of interest. The players vowed to take back their union during All-Star Weekend in 2013 but have been operating without an executive director until appointing Roberts.
With franchise values soaring and a new television deal in place by 2016, this might seem like an ideal time for labor peace. But either side can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement after the 2017 season and the union advised free agents to negotiate contracts this summer with the possibility of a lockout in mind.
This is the world Roberts is entering. She is known for her ability to engage juries and become in the words of Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree, "a 13th juror, capable of seeing the case as the jury sees it."
As she told the Washingtonian, "Don't BS them. Don't think you can avoid answering them. You have to speak to them honestly and simply."
Those skills should serve her well in her new position, where she will not only have to engage the owners and and Silver, but also unite the fractured players' union.