NBA Players Union Under Investigation by U.S. Attorney’s Office

The National Basketball Players Association, already in turmoil after President Derek Fisher asked for independent reviews of its finances and business practices, is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, the union said in a statement.

Union Executive Director Billy Hunter was notified of the investigation by subpoena for documents on April 25, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The people were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation.

“The NBPA will cooperate fully with the government’s investigation,” the union statement said.

The union has appointed a six-member special committee that consists of players representatives and executive committee members to oversee an internal inquiry that will include a financial audit.

The committee has retained Theodore V. Wells Jr. and the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to conduct the inquiry.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net.

Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net.