Retry: Peter May Article

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                                [The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]
                                [Boston Globe Online / Sports]

                                No tour - or goodwill

                                Hunter plan to improve NBA image didn't work out

                                By Peter May, Globe Staff, 10/21/98

                                 [Image]he idea was, in the words of NBA Players Association chief Billy
                                        Hunter, ''to promote peace and goodwill.'' The possibilities were
                                intriguing: NBA free agents, many of them top-of-the-line gate attractions,
                                banding together for games in such exotic places as Dubai, Hong Kong, Saudi
                                Arabia, and Greece.

                                Hunter had also hoped to stage games in China, South Africa, Australia, the
                                Philippines, and several other international locales in September and October
                                during the NBA lockout. The participants would be NBA players without
                                contracts for 1998-99, a list that includes Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen,
                                Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, Jayson Williams, and a host of others.

                                Hunter talked with sports marketing giant IMG about promoting the games and
                                also with Jordan's representatives. There also were discussions between Hunter
                                and the United Nations about games benefiting UNICEF.

                                The objective of the games, Hunter said, was to ''provide work for NBAPA
                                players during the NBA lockout.''

                                The ''goodwill tour'' never materialized. Hunter discovered that most players,
                                free agents or not, like their summers off and that potential sponsors wanted
                                marquee names, regardless of their contract situation. Not one game was
                                scheduled.

                                Instead, Hunter and his union people will be in Las Vegas today and tomorrow
                                to discuss with agents and players the next step in getting the players back
                                on courts in NBA cities.

                                Hunter's plan was mentioned in John Feerick's lengthy arbitration decision,
                                which was released Monday. Hunter was one of a handful of individuals who
                                testified before Feerick on the union's grievance that players with guaranteed
                                contracts should be paid during a lockout. Feerick denied the grievance,
                                backing the owners.

                                In his testimony before Feerick, Hunter said he was involved in efforts to
                                establish games for the idle players. ''He said the purpose was to establish
                                goodwill in the face of the lockout and to preserve the image of the
                                players,'' Feerick wrote.

                                There also was a conversation with Dwight Manley, who represents Karl Malone
                                of the Utah Jazz. Manley said yesterday he told Hunter that Malone would be
                                happy to contribute but could do so only as a coach.

                                ''That's true,'' Manley said. ''They wanted to have these tours, but nothing
                                was ever put together.''

                                Steve Kauffman, who represents Rony Seikaly, said he got a call from the union
                                wondering whether Seikaly, who is still under contract (though the Nets hold
                                an option), might be interested in playing in a game in Greece.

                                ''Nothing ever came of it,'' Kauffman said.

                                Dan Wasserman, the publicity director for the Players Association, did not
                                immediately return a phone call seeking the union's comment on the tour.

                                Kauffman is one of 20-something members of the agents advisory group, which
                                will meet today in Las Vegas to discuss the labor situation. Another is Herb
                                Rudoy, who represents, among others, former Celtics captain Dee Brown.

                                ''We're going to try and formulate a plan,'' Rudoy said. ''It's a short season
                                and it's getting shorter.''

                                Rudoy said the agents would discuss the latest luxury tax proposal from the
                                league, which he called ''onerous and unworkable.'' He said the union would
                                likely come back with a counteroffer but added, ''So far, this has basically
                                been a case of the players negotiating against themselves.''

                                Another topic is decertification of the union, which some agents favor
                                strongly while other people, including NBA commissioner David Stern, see it as
                                a bargaining ploy. According to Rudoy, ''The players already have signed off
                                on that,'' meaning they have agreed to decertify if and when the call is made
                                to do so. Two-thirds of the players voted against decertification in 1995.

                                Tomorrow Hunter will address those players who show up. Hunter said Monday
                                that Jordan, Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, and Pippen would be there along with
                                the union regulars. As of yet, the rank-and-file have not had a chance to vote
                                on any proposals from the league because they have been rejected outright by
                                the executive committee.

                                This story ran on page F03 of the Boston Globe on 10/21/98.
                                © Copyright 1998 Globe Newspaper Company.