By: Greg Uratsu

part 1 of 2…

A new NBA collective bargaining agreement is in negotiation right now.  One item to be discussed is the age requirement for the NBA draft.  Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner has said many times he’d like a new age requirement that would transition from “one and done” into the “two and through” era.  In order to get the “two and through” rule in place, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) needs to agree to the new rule.  But who’s the head of the NBPA and the voice representing the NBA players?  That person, that voice, that leader is Michele Roberts.

Courtesy of: http://www.pbs.org – Judy Woodruff

Roberts began her career in 1980 at Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. She served in that role for eight years, rising to the chief of the trial division. She was mentored by attorney Charles Ogletree.

Roberts was named executive director of the National Basketball Players Association in July 2014. She succeeded Billy Hunter in the position. She received 32 of 36 votes.

“Her background is in negotiation, it’s in changing minds and it’s in listening ability and all of those skills will be very important to the union,” Ogletree said. “People will have a chance to see a woman who is well-prepared, willing to push for what’s right and has the ability to understand what it means for the long haul.”

All those factors are very important for the NBPA, which has struggled since the 2011 lockout and resulting collective bargaining agreement. Former executive director Billy Hunter was fired during All-Star weekend in 2013 after it was discovered he mismanaged union business, and the union has been without a permanent director since.

“The players’ vision of the union is that it belongs to them and it should exist to promote, protect and advance their interest and not any other stakeholder or any other person,” Roberts said. Roberts is an executive director who will not consider any deviation from that vision.

Roberts will have to agree that a “two and through” era will promote, protect and advance the interest for the NBA basketball players in order to bring the rule into effect.

Part 2 of 2 next week…