Court threat as NBA players reject offer

NBA players rejected the league’s latest contract offer and will disband as a union, a move that could wipe out the entire season with the sides taking their labour dispute into the court of law.

The National Basketball Players’ Association said it would no longer continue in collective bargaining and will become a trade association in order to pursue legal action against the NBA, with the entire 2011-12 season hanging in the balance.

“We have arrived at the conclusion that the collective bargaining process has completely broken down,” NBPA executive director Billy Hunter said at a news conference in New York.