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Agent: Thomas Not Welcome At Talks
January 4, 1999
Agent: Thomas not welcome at talks
by Phil Jasner
Daily News Sports Writer
Close still counts in slow dancing and
horseshoes, but clearly not when NBA owners
negotiate with the National Basketball Players
Association.
As league commissioner David Stern's scheduled
Thursday-morning meetings of the league's labor
relations committee and board of governors draw
closer, the two sides seem no closer to making a
deal that would prevent cancellation of the
remainder of the season.
Is there anything left that could save Dumb and
Dumber?
Agent Steve Kauffman spent New Year's weekend at
his home in Malibu, Calif., pacing and fuming
about the possibility of Isiah Thomas becoming
directly involved in the negotiations.
Thomas, a former star with the Detroit Pistons,
a former president of the players union and a
former owner and vice president/general manager
of the Toronto Raptors, spent the weekend
explaining that he is being asked repeatedly by
union members to do just that.
For one thing, Kauffman views Thomas --
currently an analyst of NBA games for NBC -- as
essentially an employee of the league and
someone interested in taking over the union.
Kauffman also believes that the proposal drafted
last Friday by union executive director Billy
Hunter should be more than enough to produce an
agreement.
The union's proposal includes an unprecedented
cap on all player salaries. But union
authorities insisted they would deliver the
proposal only in a full negotiating session.
League authorities said they would accept a
written offer and pass it on to the labor
relations committee.
"It would be ludicrous to think the season
wouldn't be played under that proposal, unless [
the owners ] are under extreme duress from
Stern," said Kauffman, who represents the 76ers'
Eric Snow, the Indiana Pacers' Dale Davis and 16
other players.
Kauffman believes it would be equally ludicrous
for Thomas to get involved, particularly at such
a late date.
"That's one thing David Falk, myself and every
agent I can think of would agree on, that it
would be totally inappropriate that Isiah would
try and inject himself into these negotiations,"
Kauffman said. "There are others who could do it
who are more moderate, more objective. And you
shouldn't need someone at all.
"I believe Isiah is distrusted and disliked by
the majority on one side of the dispute. He's
not going to have any influence in this. If the
owners don't feel it's close, it's an insult to
anyone who knows what's in the union proposal.
Except for some minor points, the deals proposed
by the two sides are essentially the same.
"The only issue I can see is the union's cap of
$15 million on a contract for a player with 10
years or more of experience, compared to the
league's top of $12.25 million. There aren't
very many players who will be in the league long
enough to get that, maybe a handful. That's
significant in a $2 billion pot? If the league
can't negotiate off this, it's a disservice to
the players and the fans, and if the season goes
down over this, the league will look
ridiculous."
Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik
contend that the union offer is not close at
all, and remain prepared to recommend
cancellation of the season. To do that would
require a recommendation from the nine-member
labor relations committee and 15 votes from the
29 representatives on the board of governors.
Thomas said he will get involved if he continues
to be asked. Former player and coach Quinn
Buckner said he also has received a number of
calls from players.
Thomas said some players have already asked him
to go to New York and, at least, help to force
the union to allow the players to vote on their
destiny. To this point, the union's 19-person
negotiating committee has had the full authority
to determine whether to bring an offer to the
players.
"Some players are calling me five times a day,"
Thomas said. "These are guys who are afraid to
speak for themselves because they're intimidated
by the process and the way it's being run. They
want the right to vote, and it's falling on deaf
ears."
Thomas said his role with NBC should not be seen
as a conflict of interests.
"No, because I'm a former president of the
union, and because the players have come to me,"
he said.
He declined to name any of the players.
"I've gotten calls from agents, too, who have
said they don't like the way Falk has been
running things," Thomas said.
Falk, the super-agent who represents union
president Patrick Ewing and vice presidents
Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Juwan
Howard, has said he is merely exercising his
right to counsel his clients.
"I've said all along that if there's bad
chemistry at the table, the faces need to
change," Thomas said. "It's clear to me that
none of the agendas out there are in the best
interests of the players. It's been the owners
vs. Falk, with the players used as pawns. I put
13 years into the union, I don't think Falk has
put in one day, other than to try and decertify
it [ in 1995 ] ."
Thomas also wondered about Falk's supposed
interest in starting a new league.
"I'd say, 'Go start your league, but give us
back our NBA. Don't hold us hostage,' " he said.
"I know we have a damn good league now, one
that's a $2 billion partnership. A new league
could be good for Falk and his clients, but you
can't tell me he cares about all the players."
At the same time, Thomas is more than distressed
that the players have already lost nearly $600
million in salaries and have agreed to an escrow
system and longer contracts for first-round
draft choices.
"If you're losing money for your players and you
can't get it back, it's a bad fight," Thomas
said. "Don't try and sell me on unity if you've
lost all of that.
"I think there are some agents who are holding
onto a dream that they can package -- sell --
players to a new league. That's sell players,
without the players participating in the revenue
created. I thought they outlawed that in the
1800s."
©1999 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.