The National Basketball Association is in shambles after a meeting on Wednesday evening discussing the potential boycott of the season over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man police shot seven times after he reportedly wielded a knife. Sources have told reporters that the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers committed to boycotting the rest of the season to protest what they view as racial injustice.
#NBA coaches in the bubble were informed to attend the all players meeting at 8pm tonight, according to a source. This is the first players only meeting that head coaches and assistant coaches have been invited to since they’ve been in the bubble.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) August 26, 2020
Sources: Every team besides Lakers and Clippers voted to continue playing. LeBron James said in meeting he want owners to be more involved/take action.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2020
According to reporters, the players and coaches in the meeting discussed their time in “the bubble,” an isolated method supposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst teams in Orlando, as well as race relations, and whether the playoffs should continue.
Many of the players reportedly want to “finish out the season since sacrifices were made to enter the bubble” during the COVID-19 pandemic, but others appeared to be “passionate” about “voting and police reform” and determining a course of action.
Yahoo Sources: There’s a sizable amount of players advocating to finish the season out since sacrifices were made to enter the bubble, believing the NBA platform is a useful resource in this social climate.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 26, 2020
Players spoke passionately about voting and police reform, per sources. There's a sense from some that if owners don't come up with something that makes them believe staying will help move these important issues forward, this season is done.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) August 27, 2020
Before a packed room of teams in a hotel ballroom at Disney, the discussion is centering on whether to continue with the playoffs — or end the season, sources tell ESPN. So far, there seems to be momentum not to play the three playoff games on Thursday, but nothing's decided.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
Basketball Season Boycotted
According to sources, LeBron James, joined by players on the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers walked out of the meeting after announcing that they “voted to boycott the NBA season.”
Sources: The Lakers and Clippers have voted to boycott the NBA season. Most other teams voted to continue. LeBron James has exited the meeting.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2020
Sources: Miami's Udonis Haslem spoke and essentially told everyone in room that — without Lakers and Clippers, how will season continue?
LeBron James walked out. Rest of Lakers and Clippers exited behind him.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2020
Reports later Wednesday night suggested that after he walked out, James and other players were headed to Washington D.C. on a private jet to protest at the White House.
https://twitter.com/MegaRacismHater/status/1298829985432702978?s=19
The Clipper’s owner, Steven Ballmer, released a statement in support of the team’s decision, encouraging bipartisan “police accountability” and “criminal justice reform.”
A statement from @Steven_Ballmer. pic.twitter.com/p8wGQHiY7y
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) August 27, 2020
The Lakers also released a statement detailing their decision to end their season, claiming that “now is also the time for us to say enough.”
“We cannot love them for the joy and entertainment that they bring to the world, yet sit in silence and fail to use our platforms and resources to amplify their voices when they demand the justice and equality that America has promised us all, but denied Black people for too long,” the statement said.
The Lakers issue a statement in light of today’s events: pic.twitter.com/NoIFp41lRs
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) August 27, 2020
Bucking The System
The meeting occurred after the Milwaukee Bucks failed to appear on the court during their scheduled game five playoff time on Wednesday afternoon as a protest of the shooting of Blake, a black man, by police in their home state of Wisconsin.
“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand for the officers to be held accountable,” their official statement read.
The Milwaukee Bucks have boycotted Game 5 of their First Round series vs. the Orlando Magic this afternoon.
The team provided the following statement: pic.twitter.com/ul5rMlitlS
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020
Full statement from Milwaukee Bucks players who led NBA boycott tonight. pic.twitter.com/AOmHxwUTa7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2020
The @Bucks players release a statement regarding their boycott of today’s playoff game. pic.twitter.com/JUa539KULL
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 26, 2020
According to CNN, “strikes are banned under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.” The Bucks, however, paid no mind to their contracts and used their time in the locker room to call Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul to demand change and ask for the Wisconsin legislature to reconvene.
Here's Attorney General Josh Kaul (@WisDOJ) on his phone call with the @Bucks. Kaul adds: "The Bucks have, frankly, done more to address these issues than @SpeakerVos or @SenFitzgerald have done. So I applaud them for stepping up and playing a leadership role in the debate." pic.twitter.com/tobXeFisHW
— Victor Jacobo (@victorjacobo_) August 27, 2020
Milwaukee Bucks owners Marc Lasry, Wes Edens, and Jamie Dinan came out in support of the players’ decision but noted that they were not warned of tonight’s decision ahead of time.
“We fully support our players and the decision they made. Although we did not know beforehand, we would have wholeheartedly agreed with them,” said the official statement. “The only way to bring about change is to shine a light on the racial injustices that are happening in front of us. Our players have done that and we will continue to stand alongside them and demand accountability and change.”
President Obama also tweeted his support of the Bucks’s decision in “standing up for what they believe in.”
“It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values,” he wrote.
I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values. pic.twitter.com/rUGETgAt7P
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 27, 2020
All For One And One For All
Since the Bucks’s decision, many other NBA and WNBA teams also chose to postpone their playoff games on Wednesday afternoon and evening. Some MLB and MLS teams even joined in the boycott, citing solidarity with the Bucks’s decision.
The WNBA announced that the three games scheduled for this evening have been postponed. Information regarding rescheduling of the games will be provided when available.
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 26, 2020
Following the cancellation of the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds game tonight, more teams are discussing the possibility of not playing, sources tell ESPN. Among those currently discussing it: the Seattle Mariners, who have the most Black players of any team in MLB.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 26, 2020
Solidarity While Keeping The Salary
While many of these teams did not commit to forfeiting their entire season, many posted in support of Blake and Black Lives Matter, calling for an end of police using force against black Americans.
Statement from the Golden State Warriors#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/RZdejmzs6K
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) August 27, 2020
We stand with Milwaukee and Kenosha, WI and Jacob Blake. Here are a few ways you can demand justice at this time. pic.twitter.com/X01KAKGir8
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 27, 2020
Utah Jazz: “We support and join with the National Basketball Association, its teams, the players and the Utah Jazz in condemning social injustice and violence against Black people. Our family and organization remain fully committed to and focused on building a country…."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) August 27, 2020
— Vivek Ranadivé (@Vivek) August 26, 2020
Statement from the New York Knicks. pic.twitter.com/LIvuz8qbVm
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) August 26, 2020
We stand with our brothers. https://t.co/NnAQJWCmu1
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 26, 2020
The NBA Coaches support our players 100%. The restart happened largely because of the platform it provided. The baseless shootings of Jacob Blake and other black men and women by law enforcement underscores the need for action. Not after the playoffs, not in the future, but now.
— NBA Coaches Assoc. (@NBA_Coaches) August 27, 2020
Will The NBA Drop The Ball?
An emergency NBA Board of Governors meeting is scheduled for Thursday morning concerning Wednesday’s events. There, the NBA will discuss the potential continuation of the season as well as how to handle the pressure by their players to address grievances about police interactions with blacks.
A league source in the bubble tells ESPN there was “no sense of accomplishment” now that tonight’s meeting has been adjourned. Added that the feeling of “uncertainty” will remain until tomorrow’s emergency 11 a.m. ET Board of Governors meeting occurs.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) August 27, 2020
Told the players’ meeting ended "ugly," per a source, with uncertainty about what will happen tomorrow. The union will be present at the special Board of Governors meeting, per a source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) August 27, 2020