Saturday, October 30, 2010

nba news Union plans legal action over rise in techs

The NBA players association is planning legal action over the league's decision to issue more technical fouls for complaining.nba news Billy Hunter, the executive director of the union, said in a statement Thursday that the players weren't consulted about the rules changes, which he called "an unnecessary and unwarranted overreaction" by the league."We intend to file an appropriate legal challenge," Hunter said.The NBA has told players they will be whistled for technicals for overt gestures, even if they aren't directed at a referee, running up to an official to contest a call, or other actions that don't show proper respect for the game.That figures to create a rise in technical fouls, which come with heavier fines this season. There were four called in a 16-second span of Boston's exhibition victory over New York on Wednesday, with Celtics All-Star Kevin Garnett being ejected after picking up two of them for arguing.

The league put the policy in place this season after saying its research showed fans felt that the players complained too much, which Hunter disputes.nba news "We have not seen any increase in the level of 'complaining' to the officials and we believe that players as a whole have demonstrated appropriate behavior toward the officials," Hunter said. "Worse yet, to the extent the harsher treatment from the referees leads to a stifling of the players' passion and exuberance for their work, we fear these changes may actually harm our product."


 
 

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