As a labor standoff spanning nearly five months plunged into chaos, NBA commissioner David Stern and NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter could agree on only one thing.

The 2011-12 NBA season, both men conceded Monday, is legitimately in jeopardy.

That was actually the consensus conclusion all over the league after Hunter announced that the team representatives in attendance at a morning meeting in Times Square voted unanimously to file a "disclaimer of interest" that will dissolve the union and signals the players' intent to take their battle with the owners into federal court.

Following a weekend of unusually-aggressive public lobbying by Stern in support of a take-it-or-leave-it proposal issued by owners Nov. 10, Hunter and NBPA president Derek Fisher announced that -- with negotiations between the sides essentially hopeless at this stage -- they planned to file an antitrust lawsuit within 48 hours. The suit will seek a summary judgment that deems the NBA shutdown which began July 1 to be illegal.

Hunter then acknowledged in an interview with NBA TV that, even though the NBPA pushed for disclaiming its status as the players' collective bargaining representative over decertification to get into a courtroom faster, there is a "high probability" that the entire 2011-12 season will be lost because of the lengthy nature of court proceedings.

Said Stern in a subsequent interview on ESPN: "The union decided in its infinite wisdom that the proposal would not be presented to membership [for a vote]." Referring to union lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, Stern added ominously: "Obviously Mr. Kessler got his way and we are about to go into the nuclear winter of the NBA."

"If I were a player," Stern continued, "I would be wondering what it is that Billy Hunter just did."

The two union leaders explained themselves further in a letter to all players Monday night. The letter spelled out the reasons they've opted to transform the NBPA into a trade association that will keep its New York headquarters open but can no longer negotiate with the owners.

According to a copy of the letter, which was obtained by ESPN.com, Hunter and Fisher wrote: "For two and a half years and through more than 50 collective bargaining sessions, we sat at the table and attempted to negotiate a fair labor agreement with the owners. Last week, with the issuance of yet another ultimatum -- a take-it-or-leave-it final offer of a long-term agreement with unacceptable terms -- Commissioner Stern and the owners left us with no other option. It has become clear to us that we have exhausted our rights under the labor laws and continuing in that forum (collective bargaining) would not be in the best interests of the players."

The letter continued: "With no labor union in place, it is our sincere hope that the NBA will immediately end its now illegal boycott and finally open the 2011-12 season. Individual teams are free to negotiate with free agents for your services. If the owners choose to continue their present course of action, it is our view that they subject themselves to significant antitrust liability."