Steve Mitchell – USA TODAY Sports
According to a source close to LeBron James, he is highly interested in taking over as the new executive director of the NBA Player’s Union. Apparently James had been extremely vocal during this year’s All-Star Weekend about the need for a change in the union. With David Stern stepping down as NBA commissioner and Derek Fisher‘s term coming to an end this summer, it’s time for a change.
Currently, the 18-year vet Jerry Stackhouse has been overseeing the union’s activities this summer, as he has been serving as union vice president.
Although the source revealed that it is unlikely that James will take over the reigns of the player’s union considering he already has full-time schedule, he is adamant about the rebuilding of the union and has lots of ideas of moving forward in the coming years.
The NBA Player’s Union used to be composed solely of superstars like Isaiah Thomas in the 80s and Patrick Ewing in the late 90s. Since those times, the union has been dominated by lower-level players who can find the time to deal with pressing issues of the hour. If James were to step up and become president, he would be leading the way for superstars to once again play a much bigger role in the union’s activities, allowing the players and commissioner to meet on level ground, considering the power and authority that star players evoke.
The union is likely to elect a new president early this month at their summer meetings in Las Vegas.
