Two former Nets employees claim they were let go over race and politics, want to unionize league staffers

Two former Nets team attendants are claiming wrongful termination and are hopeful to partner with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to form a labor union for attendants and ball boys.

“Myself and my colleague have reason to believe that we were terminated due to racial bias, as well as for our beliefs and stance on the Black Lives Matter movement,” the two announced in a public statement released on Instagram. “There have been numerous inconsistencies in the reasoning behind our termination as well as acknowledgment of improper handling by the franchise.”

The Nets pushed back on the notion that the dismissal of the two team attendants had anything to do with their race. They were two of five Black team attendants on staff, but say they were the only attendants who strongly supported Black Lives Matter and had high-level access to players in the locker room.

They were the only attendants who were not brought back for the 2020-21 season. Some team attendants, like Bolden and Williams, are seasonal employees, meaning the organization retains full autonomy on whether or not to renew their status at the end of any given season. The Nets maintain the attendants were not fired; their contracts just were not renewed.

“The decision on whether or not to rehire seasonal part-time employees is an organizational matter that is carefully and thoughtfully evaluated,” a Nets spokesperson said in a statement. “We are entirely comfortable with our decision not to rehire these two individuals.”

Juwan Williams worked for the Nets since the franchise relocated from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012. Eddie Bolden joined Williams as a team attendant in 2014.

The two long-time Nets attendants both served as co-captains of their unit starting in 2017, splitting duties to assign hours, handle payroll and delegate responsibilities for other attendants.

That was until Nov. 17, when both say they received a phone call from equipment manager Joe Cuomo, who informed them they would not return to the team for the 2020-21 season.

Bolden, who says he has a relationship with Nets GM Sean Marks dating back to the team’s trip to play in Mexico in 2017, says he reached out to Marks, and that Marks told him he would investigate the firings.

The result of that investigation, Bolden says, was explained by Nets director of basketball operations Ryan Gisriel.

“You two were lazy and you failed to follow instruction,” Williams recalls being told by Gisriel. “For me to be called lazy and didn’t follow directions when I know damn well that I gave my all to that team for a number of seasons. It doesn’t make sense.”

It was the first time either say they received a complaint about their work ethic. The Nets did not comment on the nature of the conversation between Gisriel and Bolden.

A Nets source says the number of team attendants was reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has ushered in an era of socially-distant basketball that affords less locker room access for all non-players, media and staff alike.

Bolden and Williams, though, assert their dismissal is icing on the cake. They posit they have been deterred from and overlooked for other opportunities because of the color of their skin, including an opportunity for the Long Island Nets’ head equipment manager position.

That position was ultimately filled by Kevin Conwell, who was a full-time Nets employee versus a seasonal part-time employee like Bolden and Williams. The two also assert every attempt to move up or find an opportunity elsewhere was met with pushback from Cuomo.

“He would always say, ‘You know, I don’t think that would be a good fit for you. I don’t think you’re qualified for it,’” Bolden recalled. The Nets declined to make Cuomo available to comment.

The Nets were one of the first teams to pledge support to the Black community in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, including a $50 million commitment to social justice initiatives. BSE Global also recently launched the Supplier Diversity Program, aimed at creating opportunities for “local minority and women-owned businesses to become suppliers of goods and services” at Barclays Center.

Bolden and Williams were among the Nets staffers who were paid their normal wages for the eight games that were played in the Orlando bubble.

Bolden and Williams say they have received support since releasing their statement, including some from previous Nets staffers. They are hopeful to partner with the NBPA to create a labor union for ball boys and team attendants.

“I’m looking to have individuals receive better opportunities alongside creating better job security,” Williams said. “We would like to bring this to the public’s attention, so that this does not go unseen and the next employee does not have to go through a similar situation.”