Stern had urged players to take the deal on the table, saying it's the best the NBA can offer and warned that decertification is not a winning strategy.

In an interview with ESPN, Stern says the union's decision to disband is a "big charade." He says he believes the union is trying to see "if they can scare the NBA owners or something. That's not happening."

Union executive director Billy Hunter says they're prepared to file an antitrust lawsuit against the league in the next few days.

He says players were not prepared to accept Stern's ultimatum, saying they thought it was "extremely unfair."

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