Players Are Now Protected

Michele Roberts, the NBA players' union executive director has been making several changes in the NBA. Roberts is on the player’s side she says.

Roberts had grown up with little to nothing, coming from a family that would live day by day trying to survive. Like Roberts she knows that many of the players in the NBA had also had a rough background which makes her fight for them even harder.  Unlike many managers Roberts understands there wouldn’t be a league without these players, this is why she wants to abolish salary caps and have equal salaries.

“Roberts, hailed as one of the most brilliant trial lawyers in the United States, made history in July by being elected the first female union chief in major North American sports.” Roberts making history has given her a lot more respect in the sports world also from managers. One very important thing Roberts is trying to achieve is to never have a NBA lockout again. Keeping players and owners happy with the money they are receiving. "I can't understand why the [players' association] would be interested in suppressing salaries at the top if we know that as salaries at the top have grown, so have salaries at the bottom," she said. "If that's the case, I contend that there is no reason in the world why the union should embrace salary caps or any effort to place a barrier on the amount of money that marquee players can make."

While Commissioner Adam Silver has proposed increasing the NBA draft age limit to 20, Roberts rejected the philosophy underpinning an age limit. "It doesn't make sense to me that you're suddenly eligible and ready to make money when you're 20, but not when you're 19, not when you're 18," she said. "I suspect that the association will agree that this is not going to be one that they will agree to easily. There is no other profession that says that you're old enough to die but not old enough to work."