In the NFL, Goodell was suspending players for breaking NCAA rules, and met with little resistance since the league neutered the union years ago.

I remember the NBAPA did fight with the league over Malice in the Palace and Stern's self-proclaimed unilateral decisions to suspend everyone, and they ultimately had to back down. But that was players running into the stands and knocking out paying customers, whereas in this case, like you've said, technically nothing illegal happened.