Richmond Hits Nba With Labor Charges

The Sacramento Kings’ Mitch Richmond on Monday night filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board against the NBA, alleging that the league has conducted unfair labor practices.

The claim was filed in the NLRB offices in New York and Chicago, said attorney Dave Odom, a commercial litigator with the firm of Jenner and Black.

“Commissioner David Stern has unlawfully attempted to coerce players into voting against decertification,” Odom said Monday night. “He has done so by threatening publicly to cancel the season (and continue the current lockout) if the players vote to decertify.”

Odom said he believes the commissioner’s threat to continue the lockout following a decertification was hollow, because he believes the courts would then rule that the league could not lock out a union that did not exist.

NBA vice president Brian McIntyre said the league was unaware of any charges and had no comment.