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Friday, December 9, 2011

NBA adds sexual orientation discrimination protection to new contract

A press release from the (US) National Basketball Association (via RealGM.com and Outsports:

The NBA Board of Governors has ratified a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement, enabling training camps and the free agency period for the 2011-12 season to begin on Fri., Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. ET. As previously announced, the NBA will begin its 66th season on Christmas Day.

“I am pleased to announce that we have concluded the collective bargaining process and have reached an agreement that addresses many significant issues that were challenges to our league,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “This collective bargaining agreement will help us move toward a better business model, a more competitive league and better alignment between compensation and performance.”

[...]

- The NBA’s drug testing program has been strengthened to include up to two offseason tests for performance-enhancing drugs per year, increased penalties for performance-enhancing drugs and blood testing for HGH once the test is validated by a neutral panel of scientific experts.

- Veteran NBA players can be assigned to their team’s NBA D-League affiliate for rehabilitation assignments with the players’ consent. Beginning in 2012-13, players in their first three seasons in the NBA may be assigned to the D-League an unlimited number of times each year.

- The NBA and NBPA will create a committee to discuss issues related to the NBA Draft and NBA D-League, including Draft eligibility rules and rules related to the assignment of NBA players to the D-League.

- Non-discrimination language was added into the agreement that protects players from discrimination, including based on sexual orientation.

- Term of the contract is 10 years, with both the NBA and NBPA holding the ability to opt out after the sixth year.

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