Billy Hunter unanimously fired as NBA Players Association Executive Director

Fired National Basketball Player Association director Billy Hunter has released a statement calling the organization’s unanimous firing of him as executive director “extremely troubling” and “preordained.” Hunter also said that he plans to fight the organization’s decision, particularly as it comes to his current contract:

The legal battle will now bubble over Hunter’s $3 million annual salary. Reports suggest that the players never officially ratified Hunter’s five-year, $15 million contract in 2010, but Hunter disputes those claims. Hunter’s lawyers say that player approval is only needed to appoint a new executive director, not to extend the contract of the incumbent.

The NBA Players Association may have voted unanimously to fire union executive Billy Hunter on Saturday, but their conflict likely isn’t over yet. With Hunter’s lawyers arguing that his 2010 contract extension was completely legal, the departing executive will likely put up quite the fight over his $3 million annual salary for this year.

“Under the constitution and bylaws, such approval is only needed for the ‘appointment’ of an Executive Director. It is not required to extend the contract of an already hired Executive Director,” attorney Michael Carlinsky wrote in a rebuttal to a recent report critical of Hunter’s past behavior as NBPA director.

NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter was removed from his role Saturday after a meeting among player representatives from all 30 teams in Houston for the NBA All-Star Game, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Player representatives voted in a “decisive manner” to oust Hunter from his role at the meeting, during which Miami Heat star LeBron James reportedly spoke of the need to overhaul the union.

I understand the desire for tidy resolution, for quick strikes and clean wounds. Derek Fisher, the agents on his side and the bulk of the NBA players’ union would like to excise longtime executive director Billy Hunter in the wake of a report charging him with something more gross than simple nepotism. An investigation has found that Hunter has used player dues to prop up a failing bank connected to his son, that he did not hold a proper vetting for the extension of his own massive contract and that nepotism plays a role in union hiring and contracting practices. The union also knows that he’s a persuasive man who doesn’t like to lose. I understand the desire to do this as quickly and quietly as possible. I liken it to Downton Abbey: there’s nothing less desirable than to bring further scandal on the house. Allowing Hunter to fight these charges and argue for his job would potentially bring more scandal to the union, especially at the very high-profile All-Star Weekend.

But this is simply not fair. Due process matters.

A week ago, NBPA executive director Billy Hunter was suspended indefinitely as a response to a 469-page audit that accused him of multiple instances of wrongdoing. For the first time, Hunter responded to those allegations. He sat down with The New York Times for 65 minutes on Wednesday.

The players meet on Feb. 16 during All-Star weekend, and Hunter could be fired that day. He is not going down without a fight and is being represented by Thomas R. Ashley, a criminal defense attorney.