NBPA chief Billy Hunter made $3 million, a 25% raise

• NBPA executive director Billy Hunter made $3 million, a 25% raise
• Salary and payments to Hunter's family members are detailed in filing
• The players union paid nearly $3 million to law firms during the 2011 NBA lockout

National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter was paid $3 million from July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012, a $600,000 -- or 25% -- raise over the previous year, according to NBPA documents filed Friday with the U.S. Labor Department.

The finances and spending practices of the NBPA have been under scrutiny since at least April when several news outlets, including USA TODAY Sports, looked at the union's payroll, which included Hunter's daughter Robyn Hunter; his daughter-in-law Megan Inaba; union payments to Prim Capital, a financial services company where Hunter's son is partner; and a law firm, Steptoe & Johnson, which employs another of Hunter's daughters, Alexis Hunter.

The scrutiny prompted the union to hire Theodore V. Wells Jr. and law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison for an independent review and financial audit. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan is also investigating. The independent review and the U.S. investigation are not finished, according to two people familiar with the situation. They requested anonymity because of the ongoing inquiries.

National Football League Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith made $2.49 million from March 1, 2011-Feb. 28, 2012,and former NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, now deceased, earned $4.26 million in a similar calendar year in 2006-07, according to Labor Department filings.

In the Major League Baseball Players Association, executive director Michael Weiner earned $1 million annually and former MLBPA chief Donald Fehr, who is now with the National Hockey League Players' Association, made $1 million for several years.

Hunter, the longest current tenured union chief at 16 years, helped negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA in late November, but the 149-day lockout resulted in the cancellation of the original preseason and a shortened 66-game season.

Hunter declined an interview through a spokesman. In April, Hunter told The New York Times, "There's nothing illegal, and you're not going to find anything illegal, you or anybody else, if that's what you're looking for. I'm not afraid of that."

The NBPA's recent labor filing revealed: Hunter's daughter Robyn, director of player benefits and concierge services, earned $89,695, up from $82,954 in the previous year's filing.

Inaba, Hunter's daughter-in-law, is the director of special events and sponsorships and made $167,100, a decrease of more than $6,000 compared to the previous year's filing.

The NBPA paid Prim Capital $594,900 from July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012, up from $576,824 in the previous year's filing.

The union paid $1.367 million to the law firm Steptoe & Johnson, which employs Hunter's daughter Alexis as special counsel, for legal fees.

Hunter's relation to NBPA employees raised concerns, and internal strife has fractured the union. NBPA President Derek Fisher wanted to conduct an internal review of business practices and initially was met with resistance, leading the executive committee to ask Fisher to resign in April. The remaining executive committee members, all players, voted 8-0 that they lost confidence in Fisher's ability to act as union president and requested his resignation. Fisher has not resigned.

For the NBA lockout, the union paid $2.9 million to law firms Steptoe & Johnson, Dewey & LeBoeuf ($1.318 million), which is lawyer Jeffrey Kessler's old firm, and Boies, Schiller and Flexner ($221,167). The NFLPA paid at least $6.5 million for "CBA matters" in its most recent filing with the labor department.

Because players did not receive 57% of basketball-related income in the 2010-11 seasons, more than 400 players received a payment of $40,473.

Also, hundreds of players received licensing payments that were withheld from 2002-2011 to help fund a union war chest. More than $70 million was dispersed to former and current players. Several players, including Mike BIbby, Mike Miller, Paul Pierce, Peja Stojakovic, Richard Jefferson and Steve Nash received two $73,000 payments. James,who didn't join the league until 2003-04, received two payments – one $61,666 and one for $61,667. Former NBA guard Steve Kerr received two payments – $11,334 and $11,333.