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Also of serious concern is "purported agreement between the NBPA and Prim Capital," according to Paul, Weiss. Prim Capital is the firm that employs Hunter's son, Todd, and had a business relationship with the NBPA at $602,000 a year. "For example, we were informed repeatedly by Union employees over the course of the investigation that the 2005 Agreement was the NBPA's most recent contract with Prim," the report stated. "Theresa Messer reported that although she had raised with Prim the need for a written contract on multiple occasions and had been told that one would be prepared, she never received a new agreement. When asked about this document, Messer and Shelia Thompson, the members of the Finance Department responsible for managing the Union's relationship with Prim, reported that they had never seen it and had not known that it existed. USA Today Sports

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

All in all, there were some positives to take out of the day for the NBPA. One of the strongest voices in the meeting was that of LeBron James, the league’s biggest star. There was, top to bottom, a sense that players in the room needed to be more involved in their union, and give the job to someone on whom they will keep regular tabs, someone won’t deal in the shadows the way Hunter did, someone who won’t create and hide behind internal strife as a means of self-protection. “We will no longer be divided, misled and misinformed,” Fisher said. “This is our union. We’re taking it back.” Unfortunately, though, they won’t be taking it back without a fight. “I do not consider today's vote the end,” Hunter said, “only a different beginning.” Sporting News

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

The National Basketball Players Association voted to remove Billy Hunter as executive director of the union at a meeting on Saturday, union president Derek Fisher announced at a brief press conference. And by brief, I mean, 3 minutes, 30 seconds, and after that they walked out of the room without taking questions from media. Well, then. Fisher said he will remain president, and the new executive committee includes Matt Bonner, James Jones, Jerry Stackhouse, Andre Iguodala, Roger Mason , Stephen Curry, Willie Green and Chris Paul. CBSSports.com

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Jonathan Feigen: Fisher: "We do not doubt this process will continue in an ugly way." OK then. Twitter @Jonathan_Feigen

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Sam Amick: Media, particularly @Brian Mahoney, stunned as Derek Fisher doesn't field questions about unanimous vote to oust Billy Hunter. Twitter @sam_amick

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Adrian Wojnarowski: LeBron and Jerry Stackhouse were two of most vocal players in union rep meeting, sources say. Stack directed ire at president Derek Fisher. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James, Derek Fisher, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

Saturday afternoon, at the annual NBPA All-Star Weekend meeting, the Paul-Weiss law firm would be available to answer the players’ questions about Hunter, Fisher wrote in an email obtained by Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Daily. The prosecutor will answer questions in defense of the defendant. “I give (Derek) a round of applause for being able to pull off this stunt and pull the wool over everyone’s eyes,” former NBA veteran Maurice Evans told me late Thursday night. “If he wants the union that bad — let him and Ron Klempner and Jamie Wior — they can have it.” FOXSports.com

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Maurice Evans 

Evans, 34, was an executive vice president at the NBPA. He was perhaps the player and union rep closest to Hunter during the 2011 lockout and its aftermath. Evans is Hunter’s staunchest defender. After nine NBA seasons — he played last year with the Wizards — the career-long role player couldn’t find a job this season, which meant his role in the union ended. “Without a doubt, I know me not being in the league has something to do with my support of Billy Hunter,” Evans said. “I’m fully comfortable not playing in the NBA ever again.” FOXSports.com

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Maurice Evans 

In November of 2011, Fisher threatened to sue me for writing that members of the union confronted him concerning his relationship with Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver. “Of course (the players) have questions about Derek,” Evans said. “But Derek has done a great job of being on the offensive and only pointing the finger at Mr. Hunter. (Derek) has been busy throwing darts and throwing dirt at (Hunter) that nobody has ever taken the time to stop and ask what is Derek’s motive. What really went on in Dallas that he left to go and say now all of sudden he has family issues, he misses his family? “Now all of sudden what really happened? We voted him out 8-0 as president and yet he still stayed on, didn’t blink twice and came back with Paul-Weiss, and now they’re running the union.” FOXSports.com

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Maurice Evans, Adam Silver 

Q: What about the other union positions? Tellem: The union needs a clean sweep of executive leadership positions. The players would be wise to hire an outside general counsel, one not affiliated with either Billy or (NBPA President) Derek Fisher. He or she should be independent and impartial. Jim Quinn of Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York is worthy of consideration. So is his law partner, Bruce Meyer. Jim’s proficiency in sports-related labor law dates to Oscar Robertson’s landmark 1970 anti-trust case. During the last lockout, both Quinn and Meyer were enlisted by the union to mediate a deal with (NBA Commissioner) David Stern. Sports Business Daily

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Arn Tellem, Agents 

Hunter can be fiery and convincing. It's a skill that has served players in negotiations with the NBA. It has also served to squelch (Tellem would say "intimidate") those like Pat Garrity and Derek Fisher who have both questioned his business practices. Regardless, player reps have heard complaints about Hunter for years and Hunter's force of personality has, by numerous insider accounts, been the driving force preventing them from taking action. ESPN.com

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Pat Garrity 

The meeting, which will be run by interim union head Ron Klempner and president Derek Fisher has been intentionally scheduled at a time and place that would make it very easy for superstars to attend after All-Star practice concludes. The presence of stars, the thinking goes, could embolden players to imagine life after Hunter. (Theoretically it could also lend Hunter critical support, should any stars see his point of view.) Even assuming the predictions are right and Hunter can't save his job, there's still plenty to be worked out. For instance, will the players pay Hunter to go away? How much? And what about a replacement? Who'll conduct the search? Is Derek Fisher a candidate to take over? ESPN.com

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Liz Mullen: SBD Closing Bell: NBPA Prez Derek Fisher Promises "Unbiased" Elections In E-Mail To Players Twitter @SBJLizMullen

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

There is a perception that NBPA president Derek Fisher is consulting with the NBA about his desire to remove Hunter and wants to be executive director. But he tweeted last week that he is not interested in the top job, suggesting that someone with a legal background should take over. Boston Globe

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Also, union sources say some key members of the executive committee — those who were allies of Hunter — were left out of the process to place him on administrative leave. Chris Paul of the Clippers and Celtics player liaison Keyon Dooling were not aware of Fisher’s actions, although they are members of the executive committee. Boston Globe

Chris Paul, Derek Fisher, Keyon Dooling, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Stackhouse says Hunter isn't the only one who needs to be shown the door. "Derek has stepped up and has really tried to grab the reins but I think he has to go too," he said. "If you're not aware of everything that's happened on your watch for so long, I think the whole system is flawed." Hunter recently spoke with the New York Times to defend his record of leadership, and Stackhouse said that was expected, while also pointing out the way the game has changed since 1995. "He's talked so much about what he's done," Stackhouse said. "We have shorter salaries, a hard cap. Make sure you take credit for that, too." Detroit News

Brooklyn Nets, Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

The relationship between Hunter and Fisher turned adversarial long ago. It was Fisher who pressed for the audit of business practices last spring, initially over the objections of other executive committee members. In Hunter’s view, the forced leave is the first step toward a termination that he views as almost predetermined. “I assume that between now and then that Derek will be doing everything he can to stack the deck,” Hunter said, referring to the coming union meeting, “so that they have the appropriate players in place to vote according to their request or plan.” New York Times

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Derek Fisher: Heard rumors I'm angling for Executive Director. There are people out there better suited for that role than me. No thanks. Not interested. Twitter @derekfisher

Derek Fisher, NBPA 

Given his close relationship with union president Derek Fisher, whose complaints about Hunter led to the nine-month review, Bryant was surprisingly noncommittal about Hunter's future. Bryant said he has not spoken with Fisher about the matter. "I think he represented us as well as he possibly could," Bryant said of Hunter. "You could always wish that you had a better deal. The fact is the owners are going to have leverage as long as they continue to own teams. That's just how it is. They can continue to lock us out for as long as they want. "Strategically, maybe we can come up with different angles and different ways of going about doing things that could possibly put us in a better position," he said. "But ultimately, the owners are the ones who have the leverage." CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Friday night, Nuggets NBPA representative Andre Iguodala stood behind NBPA president Derek Fisher and suggested it was time for the players to handle the issue internally, without "outside influences." "I'm really behind Derek Fisher," Iguodala said. "He's been in the league a long time and done a really good job representing us as the head player rep. I think it's a smart decision [to place Hunter on leave]. We didn't let him go; we just placed him on leave. Now we get a chance to sit down with no outside influences, just the players, and really discuss what we're going to do next. And I think Derek's going to do a really good job leading us in that direction." CBSSports.com

Denver Nuggets, Andre Iguodala, Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA