Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum was elected president of the players’ union.
Continuing change atop the National Basketball Players Association, Tamika L. Tremaglio will replace outgoing Michele Roberts as executive director.
NBPA release:The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is pleased to announce today that it has selected Tamika L. Tremaglio to serve as its next Executive Director, succeeding Michele Roberts upon her retirement at the end of the year. Tremaglio will be retiring as the Managing Principal of Deloitte’s Greater Washington practice, where she has served as a trusted advisor and consultant to the NBPA since 2012.
NBPA President CJ McCollum said: “Tamika has been by our side for many years, advising us on the best practices and policies needed for our organization to operate more like a successful business. Given Michele’s strong leadership and guidance that have brought us to where we are today, we were looking for a next-generation leader, who has the skills, vision, and credibility to pick up where Michele will leave off and to elevate our Union to even greater heights. Tamika’s well-rounded experience in collective bargaining, staff management, revenue creation, wealth preservation and culture building, undoubtedly will put our players in the best position to succeed.”
Ms. Tremaglio, who holds J.D. and MBA degrees, and is also trained as a forensic accountant, currently leads over 14,000 employees across 23 offices in the Greater Washington area. She serves as a leader in Deloitte’s Consumer Products and Sports Industry practice, including more than 15 years of service to several players associations. In addition to her pivotal consulting work to strengthen the NBPA’s internal business and compliance practices, Ms. Tremaglio was at the table with the WNBA players in 2019 for the successful negotiation of their current collective bargaining agreement.
“Tamika will be an excellent Executive Director for the NBPA,” said Michele Roberts. “I have spent considerable time working with her over the past several years and I know she cares deeply about the players and wants the best for them, just as I do. I’m looking forward to retirement, but take solace in knowing the NBPA is in extremely capable hands.”
“I’ve worked with some of the brightest business and legal minds in the world,” said Ms. Tremaglio. “I’ve broken barriers, challenged misperceptions, and much like the professional athletes I’ve supported over the years, I have defied the odds. I’m incredibly grateful and passionate about this opportunity to serve the Players and positively contribute to the role that the NBPA will play in the future of basketball, both on and off the court.”
Tremaglio and McCollum have plenty to handle.
Either players or owners can opt out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by Dec. 15, 2022, effective after the 2022-23 season. Even if neither side opts out, the CBA will expire after the 2023-24 season.
New TV contracts could generate massive revenue, sending the salary cap skyrocketing. Cap smoothing – which Roberts vehemently opposed in 2016 – now looks more popular.
On the flip side, ratings are down. Whatever the reason, the drop in viewership is significant.
NBA stars are increasingly comfortable requesting trades, upending traditional power structures. Pushback from owners feels inevitable.
And then there are countless smaller issues, from draft setup to qualifying-offers rules to player-agent disputes to everything beyond.
Tremaglio must hit the ground running.
