Players union files unfair labor practice charge

The players’ association filed two unfair labor practice charges Friday against the NBA over issues with the new ball and the league’s crackdown on player complaints.

The charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

“I think that’s right within the NBA’s wheelhouse,” Dallas owner Mark Cuban said. “They say the NBA stands for ‘Nothing But Attorneys,’ so we’re going to be great at dealing with those issues.”

A number of players publicly have complained about changing the ball from leather to a microfiber composite.

Although players are adjusting to the new ball, they’re having a much harder time with the crackdown on reactions after the whistle, often referred to as a “zero-tolerance policy.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern enacted the policy, saying players were reacting too strongly after calls, and it has led to an increase in technical fouls called this season.

“It takes away from your natural reaction, the things that make basketball what it is,” said Jerry Stackhouse, the Mavericks’ player representative.

“You think Bill Bradley never hit the support after he was called for a foul? That’s the model citizen of all former NBA players. It’s just a natural thing to do.”

With players fined for each technical they receive, union director Billy Hunter told the Associated Press last month that legal action could be the next step if Stern didn’t tell the referees to “back off.”

There have been 175 unsportsmanlike technical fouls called through 225 games this season. There were 120 through the same number of games last season, though the number is on par with the amount from two years ago.

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Allen Iverson, fined by the Philadelphia 76ers for skipping a bowling event, said the effects of medicine after a dental procedure made him a no-show.

He was fined an undisclosed amount for missing the event on Wednesday. He said the medicine “put me out” after having two abscessed teeth pulled. Iverson left practice Wednesday, complaining of fatigue.

Iverson said he was willing to accept the consequences of disappointing fans.

“I’m not too much worried about the fine as the fact I missed a team event,” Iverson said. “That’s the most important thing. But it’s been bothering me since I had the teeth pulled.”