Report: Michele Roberts to seek contract renewal as NBPA director
Michele Roberts reportedly wants to stay on for another term as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association.
When her current four-year contract expires this September, Roberts plans to seek a new deal to extend her tenure as union boss, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
She had initially planned to serve out only the one contract, but recently had a change of heart, according to Wojnarowski.
Roberts took over for the ousted, scandal-plagued Billy Hunter in 2014, and subsequently helped steer the union through a successful labor negotiation with the league. The two sides avoided a work stoppage when they agreed to the latest collective bargaining agreement in December 2016, ahead of the mutual opt-out deadline for the previous CBA. The current deal runs through the 2023-24 season, with a mutual opt-out after 2022-23.
In those negotiations, which took place amidst a revenue spike and the start of a gargantuan TV rights deal, Roberts helped the players retain their 49-51 percent share of basketball-related income. She also helped negotiate more comprehensive health-benefits and pension plans for current and retired players, a slightly less draconian restricted-free-agency protocol, the addition of two roster spots for G Leaguers on 2-way contracts, and the creation of the designated player extension, among other things.
She has recently pushed for a change to the league's draft-eligibility rules, an exploration of legalized gambling as a revenue stream, and the creation of a mental wellness program for NBA players.
Roberts was the first woman ever to serve as the head of a major North American sports labor union.