PDF of NBA players’ antitrust suit vs. league

After finding the NBA owners’ latest proposal unacceptable, NBPA officials and player representatives decided on Monday to disband the union in order to file class-action antitrust lawsuits against the league. On Tuesday, they did just that. Represented by co-lead attorney David Boies — the same attorney who represented the NFL during its lockout — NBA players filed two lawsuits against the league in two states, claiming the lockout violates antitrust laws by refusing to allow players to work.

Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Chauncey Billups, Kawhi Leonard and Leon Powe were listed as plaintiffs in a complaint that was filed in the Northern District of California against the NBA and its owners. That case has been assigned for now to U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu in Oakland, Calif.

The other complaint was filed in Minneapolis, where NFL players had some success in a similar court proceeding this past summer. Anthony Tolliver, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler and Derrick Williams were listed as plaintiffs.

Below is a PDF of the Minnesota filing, courtesy of Courthouse News.