The NBA’s G League players have organized and formed a union, temporarily named the Basketball Players Union (BPU), the National Basketball Players Association announced in a press release. Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported the news (via Twitter).
According to today’s announcement, approximately 80% of players voted to unionize, and the NBA G League has agreed to voluntarily recognize the BPU as the players’ representative.
The newly-formed union will represent players on all NBA G League teams, including the Select Team that will be launched in 2020/21. However, players on two-way contracts or on NBAGL assignments from NBA rosters will continue to be repped by the NBPA.
“We are extremely pleased that our brothers in the G League elected to form their own union,” said Anthony Tolliver, a member of the NBPA’s executive committee. “The many NBA players with prior experience in the G League can personally attest to the value an organized union brings to players’ careers. We would like to especially thank Andre Ingram and John Holland who gave so much of their personal time to the organizing process.”
G League players earn $35K per season and don’t have anywhere near the same number of benefits enjoyed by NBA players. Now that they’re unionized, the BPU will have the opportunity to collective bargain salaries, benefits, and other working conditions with the NBAGL, so those negotiations will be worth keeping an eye on.
The oaks of the NBA are just too greedy
We will make them give us light
by hatchet, axe and saw they are gone.
gene hackman can coach if he wants, but i think jeff van gundy could lead a team of miscreants to a title in year 1.
release them all now, replace them with more appreciative players.
Like the guys in The Replacements from the NFL strike season?
i applaud the G league for actually trying to make something of itself beyomd just being considered a place where long shot prospects careers go to die
well then enjoy sacrificing a further 5-10 % of your 35k pa then…
Anthony Tolliver is close to he GL in more ways than that.
Ha but Winslow’s not returning and BasRef says in his last five games, has averaged a +- of 8 in 19′! So he will include his sweat-socks in the briefcase.