Lowe / Windhorst: Inside a tense NBA owners meeting

[will]

Adam Silver just found out about all this stuff?

Come on, son.

[OAKLEY_2]

PLayers have pushed the limits and are running the show with a radical sense of entitlement. There is no good faith in anything they are doing. You can thank Lebron for that.

They say, "if you can trade me where you want, then I can request to be traded to where I want. But if I get injured and cant play, you are on the hook till Im done." Owners have to take control again.

The rules and committing to a large contract is not seen as a special privilege but as a personal right they can force to their preference.

The fact you have uncle denis representing Kawhi, and asking for things outside the CBA likely funneling funds to other individuals shows how much of a country club it has become. They know they can get away with it.

All you have to do is look at the Clipeprs and see how Balmers money outside the CBA is at work. The kawhi situation shows this isnt about the competitive nature of the sport, but of side dealings. Same for all players in negociations with otehr teams management while still under contract to other teams.

The FBI will eventually jump in because of its previous dealings with Tim Dounhaghy. So either they investigate and come down with the hammer, then excerisce massive chagnes in the next CBA or you have a corruption stink.

I speculate here but there could be more behind all this, maybe money laundering, tax evasion etc. Stern did say one day "I know where the bodies are buried". The NBA should be really careful as a threshold was passed here.

The decision was the beginning of the uncontrollable vomiting.

[hype_2004]

Read on Twitter

I have this deep feeling that this will open up a whole can of worms. If someone from the Feds really have it on their hands to deal with this matter and get involved there will be serious jail time for a whole lot of people. This is nothing more than MONEY LAUNDERING no different than organize crime tactics to stash unreported cash aside to evade taxes. Giving family members under the table money while securing that player is as illegal as it gets, If the FBI gets involved this will ruin the NBA. I think Silver is talking to the higher ups in government to back off until he changes the rules and let the NBA investigate internally, but it only takes one Bloodhound from the Feds to get the ball rolling. This could well become the NBAs version of Watergate where Silver will try to cover up for the corrupt practices of the NBA owners such as Ballmer.

[AkelaLoneWolf]

Read on Twitter

I have this deep feeling that this will open up a whole can of worms. If someone from the Feds really have it on their hands to deal with this matter and get involved there will be serious jail time for a whole lot of people. This is nothing more than MONEY LAUNDERING no different than organize crime tactics to stash unreported cash aside to evade taxes. Giving family members under the table money while securing that player is as illegal as it gets, If the FBI gets involved this will ruin the NBA. I think Silver is talking to the higher ups in government to back off until he changes the rules and let the NBA investigate internally, but it only takes one Bloodhound from the Feds to get the ball rolling. This could well become the NBAs version of Watergate where Silver will try to cover up for the corrupt practices of the NBA owners such as Ballmer.

violation of the CBA is a criminal act?

[OAKLEY_2]

Read on Twitter

I have this deep feeling that this will open up a whole can of worms. If someone from the Feds really have it on their hands to deal with this matter and get involved there will be serious jail time for a whole lot of people. This is nothing more than MONEY LAUNDERING no different than organize crime tactics to stash unreported cash aside to evade taxes. Giving family members under the table money while securing that player is as illegal as it gets, If the FBI gets involved this will ruin the NBA. I think Silver is talking to the higher ups in government to back off until he changes the rules and let the NBA investigate internally, but it only takes one Bloodhound from the Feds to get the ball rolling. This could well become the NBAs version of Watergate where Silver will try to cover up for the corrupt practices of the NBA owners such as Ballmer.

violation of the CBA is a criminal act?

If the contract were found to be breached by ownership players could grieve forcing an arbitrated grievance settlement. If Kawhi got perks outside the agreement from "the employer" then the agreement is breached. That would be nothing short of owners bribing key employees.The likely result would be lawsuits and counter lawsuits if not setlled promptly by government appointed labour board.

[OAKLEY_2]

Adam Silver just found out about all this stuff?

Come on, son.

Will players grieve the "stars" violating their agreement? I would argue players like Lebron operate outside the boundaries of collective bargaining all the time putting other members at significant risk. Middle earners need to come together and put a stop to this because the entourage crowd steered by the likes of agents like Rich Paul are forcing middle earners off teams. The middle earners need to band together and sanction their "brothers" LOL that are colluding with certain owners. What a mess. Cat is out of the bag. This is like mob infiltrated union and Rich Paul is like Tony Soprano. To put it in other terms "stars" look more like senior management than rank and file members.

[hype_2004]

Read on Twitter

I have this deep feeling that this will open up a whole can of worms. If someone from the Feds really have it on their hands to deal with this matter and get involved there will be serious jail time for a whole lot of people. This is nothing more than MONEY LAUNDERING no different than organize crime tactics to stash unreported cash aside to evade taxes. Giving family members under the table money while securing that player is as illegal as it gets, If the FBI gets involved this will ruin the NBA. I think Silver is talking to the higher ups in government to back off until he changes the rules and let the NBA investigate internally, but it only takes one Bloodhound from the Feds to get the ball rolling. This could well become the NBAs version of Watergate where Silver will try to cover up for the corrupt practices of the NBA owners such as Ballmer.

violation of the CBA is a criminal act?

Nope, did you understand what I just wrote? Seems comprehension is not your strong suit, I damn highlighted the illegal act that is punishable by law, lol!

[hype_2004]

Adam Silver just found out about all this stuff?

Come on, son.

Will players grieve the "stars" violating their agreement? I would argue players like Lebron operate outside the boundaries of collective bargaining all the time putting other members at significant risk. Middle earners need to come together and put a stop to this because the entourage crowd steered by the likes of agents like Rich Paul are forcing middle earners off teams. The middle earners need to band together and sanction their "brothers" LOL that are colluding with certain owners. What a mess. Cat is out of the bag. This is like mob infiltrated union and Rich Paul is like Tony Soprano. To put it in other terms "stars" look more like senior management than rank and file members.

That's just what it is, these "stars" are on the look out for themselves and their associates. Owners have been illegally laundering money to their relatives under the table, this is as crooked as it gets, downright dirty business.

[tms]

the next lockout will be great theatre

[Courtside]

I have this deep feeling that this will open up a whole can of worms. If someone from the Feds really have it on their hands to deal with this matter and get involved there will be serious jail time for a whole lot of people. This is nothing more than MONEY LAUNDERING no different than organize crime tactics to stash unreported cash aside to evade taxes. Giving family members under the table money while securing that player is as illegal as it gets, If the FBI gets involved this will ruin the NBA. I think Silver is talking to the higher ups in government to back off until he changes the rules and let the NBA investigate internally, but it only takes one Bloodhound from the Feds to get the ball rolling. This could well become the NBAs version of Watergate where Silver will try to cover up for the corrupt practices of the NBA owners such as Ballmer.

violation of the CBA is a criminal act?

Nope, did you understand what I just wrote? Seems comprehension is not your strong suit, I damn highlighted the illegal act that is punishable by law, lol!

It's only punishable by law if it's illegal. Violating the CBA in an of itself is not illegal. It is also not money laundering, and is not a criminal activity unless there is tax evasion going on, due to unreported earnings.

You may want to read up on what actual money laundering is.

[hype_2004]

violation of the CBA is a criminal act?

Nope, did you understand what I just wrote? Seems comprehension is not your strong suit, I damn highlighted the illegal act that is punishable by law, lol!

It's only punishable by law if it's illegal. Violating the CBA in an of itself is not illegal. It is also not money laundering, and is not a criminal activity unless there is tax evasion going on, due to unreported earnings.

You may want to read up on what actual money laundering is.

If relatives are getting millions under the table and are not reporting it then hides it in some made up start up business, it's MONEY LAUNDERING.

[C Court]

Secret commissions, illicit payments and trying to mask them by calling them “consulting fees” can be illegal, even if all taxes are paid.

The CBA is a binding legal agreement between the player and the NBA. So an attempt to circumvent the CBA in order to deliver prohibited payments to the player or his family may very well be against the law. Demands by an agent or family member to be paid a secret side commission in order for the player to sign a contract, could be considered a bribe or extortion.

There are statutes in US Law which prohibit corrupt business practices. Payment/acceptance of a bribe (pay me $$$ under the table so the player signs with your team) is illegal and is a corrupt business practice.

[Chuck Everett]

With the current TV deal the NBA has going on, really doubtful we see a lockout. More likely we see a CBA extension. Too much revenue being made by the league with this mega-deal to upset the apple cart.

[ruckus]

With the current TV deal the NBA has going on, really doubtful we see a lockout. More likely we see a CBA extension. Too much revenue being made by the league with this mega-deal to upset the apple cart.

Exactly. With this TV deal, I don't think any team is losing money right now. Plus, the franchise valuations are so ridiculous, it would take a really ballsy owner who loves competition more than money to pursue a lockout.

[dTox]

With the current TV deal the NBA has going on, really doubtful we see a lockout. More likely we see a CBA extension. Too much revenue being made by the league with this mega-deal to upset the apple cart.

The TV deal will be expiring before for the next CBA negotiations. And based on the media buzz, ESPN and the likes are not seeing the great returns from their $6 billion investment because streaming has taken a big chunk off their revenue stream, and I'd wager at least 20-30% of those online streams are illegal (where none of the league's partners see any profits).

[Chuck Everett]

With the current TV deal the NBA has going on, really doubtful we see a lockout. More likely we see a CBA extension. Too much revenue being made by the league with this mega-deal to upset the apple cart.

The TV deal will be expiring before for the next CBA negotiations. And based on the media buzz, ESPN and the likes are not seeing the great returns from their $6 billion investment because streaming has taken a big chunk off their revenue stream, and I'd wager at least 20-30% of those online streams are illegal (where none of the league's partners see any profits).

Perhaps, but I'd caution that Amazon or Hulu (which is Disney/ESPN anyway) could offer a co-partnership as the league fully embraces having a digital partner on top of the terrestrial networks as partners.

NBA could work with 3 (NBC?, Amazon?, Fox Sports1?) distribution partners rather than 2 (ESPN/TNT) in the long-run. We just don't know, yet. The NBA has a great thing going primarily because they have so much game inventory year over year.