Agent Arn Tellem calls for NBAPA President Billy Hunter's firing

Agent Arn Tellem sent his clients a sternly worded letter calling for the removal of NBA Players' Association president Billy Hunter, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times.

Tellem wrote that the players should act to remove Hunter, who has been in charge of the players' union since 1996, a span that has included both lockouts, during which Tellem says Hunter was "tactically, strategically and logistically unprepared:"

"N.B.A. players deserve better representation from the union they fund," Tellem writes in the letter. "I implore you and your fellow players to take control of your union and your future. It’s time for Mr. Hunter to go."

Hunter has come under fire after an audit revealed his tenure has featured questionable hiring practices and spending policies, often for his own personal gain. But before Tellem's letter, no agent had come out and explicitly called for Hunter's dismissal.

As Beck writes, Tellem's word has some sway: his agency, the Wasserman Media Group, represents 12 percent of the league's players, the highest of any one group, while three of his personal clients serve as player representatives with the union.

The union holds an annual meeting every All-Star weekend, giving them their first opportunity to oust Hunter since the release of the audit. The audit also suggested that the players fire Hunter.