Aug 28, 2026 · 16 min
NBPA presses for player power beyond the court
A Conversation on NBA Europe, the Next NBA CBA & More with NBPA Chief David Kelly
David Kelly lays out how the players’ union wants more control over commercial rights, league expansion, scheduling, and athlete economics.
- 1Players United turns more than 500 NBA players’ collective NIL and commercial rights into a shared business platform.
- 2Kelly argues the second apron, workload pressures, and NBA Europe plans could shift value and risk away from players.
- 3The NBPA supports stronger college NIL protections and sees unionization or employee status as possible next steps.
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Kelly argues that NBA Europe should share basketball-related income with players whose collective reputation and labor created the league’s underlying value.
The brief
David Kelly, executive director of the NBA Players Association and CEO of Players United, introduces a commercial brand representing more than 500 players through content, merchandise, and experiences.
Players United’s “Own the Game” campaign tests whether a collective player brand can feel authentic, while a new Los Angeles facility gives offseason players a centralized place to train and play.
Kelly criticizes the NBA’s second apron and calls for a more thoughtful schedule, arguing that roster rules, travel, back-to-backs, and injuries place too much pressure on players and teams.
The sharpest labor question concerns NBA Europe: Kelly says players should receive a good-faith share of revenue built on the reputation and value created by current and former NBA players.
Kelly also addresses draft reform, tanking, the WNBA’s growth and off-court controversies, and college NIL protections that could eventually lead toward unionization or employee status.
The interview frames the NBPA’s next challenge as broader than negotiating a CBA: it is about securing player influence wherever basketball creates new value.
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