February 3, 1976
Robertson v. National Basketball Association
Oscar Robertson lent his name to a six-year antitrust fight against the NBA's reserve clause — and against a proposed merger with the ABA that would have killed competing bids for every player in the league. The settlement landed the same year the merger did. Block the merger, and the reserve clause had nowhere left to hide.
Why it still matters
The template for using antitrust leverage against league structure rather than against a single rule.
Live matters descending from this case
Sources
Historical summaries prepared from published opinions and secondary sources. Commentary and analysis, not legal advice.
Labor & CBA Governance