NBA general managers are in the final stages of forming a professional association for the first time. While NBA players, coaches and referees all have associations, general managers haven’t had anything official to this point.
The hope is that by forming an association, the league’s decision-makers will be able to work together in times of crisis. The association will provide executives with access to legal defense funds, lawyer referrals and PR professionals.
The plans to form an association got underway in March of 2021. However, the recent investigation into Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey and alleged workplace misconduct has increased urgency for league executives to form a united front.
ESPN reports that declining revenues and dwindling attendance across the league coming out of the pandemic, many top team basketball executives are fearful Portland is creating a blueprint for other ownership groups to invoke firing for cause and sidestep payment on contracts.
