Rather than saying that the commissioner is hired by the owners and therefore is subservient to them, you have to look at whether or not the players are getting a fair shake.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I think the Commissioner is taking the steps necessary to give the game back to the players and the fans and hopefully take the league to the next level.
I don't know if 1300 players could really participate in the selection of a commissioner, and I've never given it a great deal of thought. I think it's a logical point they could make, but it's only an academic one.
I've never found NBA owners to be deferential. I never considered them to be reliant. All that I do is knock myself out to represent their interests the best way I can and sometimes tell them, as part of my job, what they don't like to hear.
One thing that we've invested a lot of in, that we all live by, is the power of the commissioner.
And historically the owners have used loyalty to a team or a city to hold players as opposed to always paying their worth.
The competitor in me wants to play, but it's not my job to make that decision. That's what the coaches are paid for.
I would probably say that being a commissioner in sports is one of the hardest jobs in the world.
I think the NBA players have to be held accountable in a reasonable way, just like any other professionals.
My job, when it comes to free agency, trades, is not to pick players, but support the personnel department and the coaching staff. We have to have the financial resources to make things happen and that's my job.
I think that players play, and they compete, and it's not about incentives.