RealGM

Chris Paul new union president

Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul became the highest profile player in more than a decade to head the National Basketball Players Association, as he was elected president Wednesday after a two-day meeting in Las Vegas.

Paul, a vice president on the union's executive board for the past four years, is the biggest star to lead the group since Patrick Ewing in 2001. He begins his 18-month term replacing Derek Fisher, who had been president since 2006, with the NBPA in turmoil after 18 months of in-fighting, firings and lawsuits.

Paul's most important job now will be to guide the union through the process of selecting a replacement for Billy Hunter, who was fired as NBPA executive director in February. Neither Paul nor Jerry Stackhouse, who had been a union vice president before resigning his position this week, would commit to a timetable or discuss whether a search firm was in place to do that.

The union would like to have a new executive director in place before Feb. 1, when Adam Silver will take over as NBA commissioner. There are a number of issues from the 2011 collective bargaining agreement that were tabled and need resolution. Those include blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs, including HGH, and the age limit to enter the draft, which currently is 19.

"For us, it's all about getting our house in order and making sure that everything moves right in that direction," Paul said.

Brian Windhorst, ESPN

Chris Paul elected president of NBA players union

'It was something I saw as a challenge, something I knew I'd be able to handle,'' Paul said. ''It's an unbelievable opportunity, a lot of responsibility comes with this position but I'm very fortunate to have an outstanding of committee guys. The past couple of days have been outstanding, the dialogue we've had as an executive committee also with the players that have come in town, it was amazing.''

''This is not a position that's about me or one person,'' Paul said. ''It's about the collective group and the players and I think from my experience ... it's about growing the game and expanding our brand and continue to get our players involved as we can and make sure our voice is heard. The guys here just understand it's our union, there's no one person that is bigger than the group.''

W.G. Ramirez, Yahoo! Sports

Paul ready to run point for NBPA

There should have been one sales pitch Chris Paul made in his bid to become president of the NBA players' union -- the same reason the union should be happy he was selected for the job Wednesday.

Look at what he's done for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Working with an owner who previously had one of the worst reputations in sports, Paul has given the Clippers the "go get 'em" feel of a well-funded Internet startup.

But the owners also know it's the big names who make up a disproportionate part of the NBA's existence, and Paul's ascension to president of the National Basketball Players Association signals a level of commitment to the union by prominent players that hasn't existed in recent years.

"It's huge," said Roger Mason Jr., who had sought the presidency but quickly fell in line in support of Paul, and was elected first vice president.

"He was a part of the executive committee, but it's different. And now he'll be able to walk into the room along with ... the other executive committee members and really represent the face of our league. So I think it's important."

He added later: "I wouldn't have took this role, this job on, if it was going to be me doing it alone. The other guys on the executive committee are just as important as I am."

Said Mason: "Chris told me I'm going to be the engine. Between myself and James Jones [the union's secretary treasurer], we're the two guys that, we've been living this every day. He's going to lean on us, he's going to lean on the rest of the executive committee."

JA Adande, ESPN

jellybean8 wrote:Prob only reason is so he can get rid of the flopping fines for him and blake griffin

jellybean8 wrote:Prob only reason is so he can get rid of the flopping fines for him and blake griffin

Woodsanity wrote:

jellybean8 wrote:Prob only reason is so he can get rid of the flopping fines for him and blake griffin

Chris Paul is going to dedicate many hours per week to be president so he can get rid of small flopping fines that don't even hurt his bank account? Paul and Griffin didn't even get fines last season and even if they got several fines it would do nothing. Paul is the representative of what the NBPA members want. If he is against flopping fines then the majority of players in the nbpa were against them probably because most of them are role players and can actually lose a decent chunk of money off fines.

jellybean8 wrote:

Woodsanity wrote:

jellybean8 wrote:Prob only reason is so he can get rid of the flopping fines for him and blake griffin

Chris Paul is going to dedicate many hours per week to be president so he can get rid of small flopping fines that don't even hurt his bank account? Paul and Griffin didn't even get fines last season and even if they got several fines it would do nothing. Paul is the representative of what the NBPA members want. If he is against flopping fines then the majority of players in the nbpa were against them probably because most of them are role players and can actually lose a decent chunk of money off fines.

Yeah and try to not let the HGH testing go thru...wonder why?

jellybean8 wrote:Yeah and try to not let the HGH testing go thru...wonder why?

mkwest wrote:

jellybean8 wrote:Yeah and try to not let the HGH testing go thru...wonder why?

You better hope your beloved Kobe bean isn't on anything.

jellybean8 wrote:No but seriously why wouldnt you want hgh testing?

mttwlsn16 wrote:Does anyone in their right mind honestly believe Lebron never took some kind of PEDs?