NBPA seeking arbitration hearing for flopping rules

Ron Klempner, interim executive director of the National Basketball Players Associate, spoke on Tuesday about the NBA’s controversial flopping rules, saying the the group is seeking an arbitration hearing since the National Labor Relations Board recently refused to make a decision about the legality of said rules:

"We are now in the process of scheduling a case with our arbitrator to determine whether the NBA is allowed to unilaterally impose discipline in an area that exceeds the commissioner’s authority without the consent of the union. It’s a subject they need to bargain with us, and we hope that the arbitrator will find that any type of discipline must be collectively bargained (CBS Sports)."

When the rules were originally challenged by former executive director Billy Hunter, NBA spokesman Tim Frank spoke in their defense: “Our adoption of an anti-flopping rule is fully consistent with our rights and obligations under the collective bargaining agreement and the law.”

Nineteen players received flopping warnings last season (the first NBA season in which the rules were implemented), and five of those players were fined $5,000 for “second offenses”: JJ Barea, Gerald Wallace, Omer Asik, Reggie Evans, and Kevin Martin. Eight other players were fined smaller amounts for single offenses: LeBron James, Tony Allen, Jeff Pendergraph David West, Lance Stephenson, Chris Bosh,  JR Smith, and Derek Fisher.

[Source: CBS Sports]