51.   A lawyer acting on behalf of the group filed a petition asking the NLRB to decertify the union.

52.   A simple majority is required to either approve the labor agreement or decertify the union.

53.   All that could be moot, if the union is decertified.

54.   And NBA commissioner David Stern said the dissidents had been poorly advised when they decided to move to decertify the union and file an anti-trust suit against the league.

55.   But there is little reason to hope if the union is decertified without reaching a deal satisfactory to all players.

56.   DeBusschere said the dissident players, who have asked the National Labor Relations Board to decertify the union, were being manipulated by agents.

57.   The ratification meetings came amid a bid by renegade players, including Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, to nullify any agreement by decertifying the union.

58.   They pushed to reject the deal and decertify the union.

59.   NBA players start voting on Wednesday on whether to accept a new contract, or reject it and decertify the union that negotiated it.

60.   Rejecting the plan would decertify the union and legitimize the anti-trust suit.