Tremaglio was executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, the league union, for less than two years. She negotiated the collective bargaining agreement which I have criticized as the most radical pro-ownership in my memory.
The in-season tournament added games to the players' work loads when some (here!) thought a reduction in the 82-game regular season was needed. But the players wanted the extra games for the extra money (as did the owners, obviously).
The players' pay scale tilted more heavily toward the richest 1% and new draconian penalties on owners for exceeding the salary cap were part of the agreement.
And the agreement cracked down on "load management", players taking personal days, stars sitting out. The CBA defines "star player" and mandates that two star players on the same team cannot rest in the same game. They have to be visible sitting on the bench to the fans if they are not playing. As a fan of the game and of the Association I viewed the way load management worked as cheating the fans of their money and corrosive of the relationship with the league.
The players association had long argued that back-to-back games led to injuries. The league presented studies, of which I was and am extremely skeptical that allegedly showed that injuries did not occur more frequently in or as a consequence of the second game of back-to-backs.
The league was particularly disgusted with last season's all-star game in Salt Lake City and the lack of player engagement--effort--in the game. They don't play defense. So the new CBA does away with "Team LeBron" and Team Whomever, player-selected teams, and reverted to a traditional East-West format.
So, although I applauded the league in identifying the issues and agreed with the direction of the changes, I came away feeling that the new CBA was what management in every labor negotiation seeks: more money for them, more work from employees. In fact, the changes made were to appease television networks ahead of expiring broadcast deals.
All in all, in my view at the time, Tamika Tremaglio got rolled by commissioner Adam Silver. She has been replaced by player Andre Iguodala. What happened with Tremaglio's exit is not at all clear. She lasted less than two years. Was she fired, pushed, or resigned of free will? Consider these takes:
NBPA Replaces Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio with Andre Iguodala
The players union appears to be moving in a new direction.
That strongly suggests pushed--at least.
Tamika Tremaglio, abruptly stepped down from her post last month...
Commissioner Silver:
"I was surprised when Tamika was replaced only because I had no prior knowledge that there was any issue there. I mean, she and I had a very professional relationship in the role. But ultimately, I recognized that changes we could make at the league office, the Players Association could be saying, I had no idea any changes were coming in terms of executive positions here.
I have "no idea" what Adam's reference is there.
"As far as I can tell from the outside, it's been a very smooth transition there to Andre Iguodala as I guess the interim executive director. Nothing has changed in terms of our day-to-day relations with them, and I have no other knowledge about why either the Players Association or Tamika decided to, you know, change the relationship."
And I could not find any intel from the NBAPA or elsewhere on why the relationship changed to no further relationship. Tremaglio is out, Iguodala is in, that's it.
