NBA Lockout: Len Simon Is Reportedly The Anti-Trust Lawyer Working With Players Eyeing Decertification

Players considering decertification of the union without the consent of the group's leaders talked to anti-trust attorney Len Simon this week, reports Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. The players are looking for an alternate path in the NBA lockout, reportedly feeling that the union leadership of Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter has given up too much already.

Reports suggest as many as 50 players and several agents spoke via phone on Thursday, with the Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce named as a noteworthy voice. The most experienced labor lawyer on sports union decertification is Jeffrey Kessler, who works as an outside counsel for the players' union under Fisher and Hunter. Hunter and Fisher have not moved toward decertification, instead hoping to cut a deal at the bargaining table.