The NBPA has elected Chris Paul as its next President, Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY reports.
Paul previously served as one of the Executive Committee's vice presidents and takes over at an interesting time for the players' union. The league is only two years removed from a lockout that took 16 games from the regular 82-game season and seemed to put in place many of the salary changes the owners were seeking.
That lockout exposed many of the warts within the union itself. Some inside the union began accusing president Derek Fisher of not being hard enough on the league in negotiations — hoping to save his own future job prospects. Then the in-fighting with executive director Billy Hunter began and it became publicly known that his dealings with the union were not entirely honest. There were accusations of nepotism in hiring and the conducting of union business.
Paul walks into that mess and will have to oversee the hiring of a new executive director to handle the union's business in his term as the union's president. He should have some experience and some confidence in dealing with commissioner David Stern and commissioner-to-be Adam Silver.
Negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement is not in the cards for another four or five years.
Paul though could very well likely be the one at the head of the table when it is time to negotiate the next collective bargaining agreement. If he is, he will be the first All Star as union president since Patrick Ewing's term ended in 2001.
Roger Mason Jr., who publicly announced his candidacy for president, was elected the first vice president. Steve Blake and Anthony Tolliver were also elected as vice presidents and will serve on the union's executive committee.
That is your new team representing the player's interests in collective bargaining.
