NBA players won’t cancel season
Get ready for NBA Restart II.
The NBA season will continue either Friday or Saturday as players decided not to boycott the remainder of the playoffs in meetings Thursday morning.
After the Bucks’ boycott Wednesday forced the postponement of three games, Thursday’s games were postponed. The NBA announced the playoff schedule will resume either Friday or Saturday as talks continued.
“They did what they needed to do to get the results they want and have the most impact,” an NBA executive said. “They’ll never have as much leverage as they have now.”
A video conference call Thursday night was on tap involving a group of players, team governors representing the 13 teams in Orlando, union reps, the league office and NBA Labor Relations Committee Chairman Michael Jordan, the league said.
According to sources, after a tense players’ meeting Wednesday night in which the Lakers and Clippers voted to cancel the season, union president Chris Paul and vice president Andre Iguodala helped save the season. Sources said they convinced doubters why it was important to finish the season.
Besides the financial implications, the social justice platform the players have is stronger in Orlando than if there are no more games.
Also, 15 percent of salaries would be forfeited as the league would have to repay TNT and ESPN. Additionally, the collective bargaining agreement would be in danger of being legally scrapped and next season’s salaries would then be jeopardized.
Even LeBron James could relate.
Wednesday’s three playoff games were postponed after the Bucks declined to take the court for their Game 5 contest against the Magic in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., a short drive from Milwaukee.
On Wednesday night, the Lakers and Clippers were reportedly on board with scrapping the rest of the playoffs, led by James and Kawhi Leonard, but a different approach was taken Thursday morning. James reportedly said Wednesday night he’d “sleep on it.’’
Former star Grant Hill told NBATV: “I was a little surprised but pleasantly surprised. They had time to think about this to understand the magnitude of the decision. They realized they have a tremendous platform and want to maintain that platform. It’s the smart, right decision to move forward.”
The players still want the NBA to renew its efforts to spotlight social injustice beyond the jersey names and painting Black Lives Matter on the courts. NBA commissioner Adam Silver had not commented at press time.
James was not specific about the decision to play on, but tweeted Thursday about sparking voter turnout to help social reform: “Change doesn’t happen with just talk!! It happens with action and needs to happen NOW! For my @IPROMISESchool kids, kids and communities across the country, it’s on US to make a difference. Together. That’s why your vote is.”
The first round of the playoffs is nearing a conclusion with Milwaukee leading Orlando 3-1. The Lakers are ahead of Portland 3-1 and Oklahoma City and Houston are tied at 2-2. Those were the three games postponed Wednesday.
One second-rounder was initially scheduled to begin Thursday night — the Raptors-Celtics series.
With so many players on the fence, the NBA still feels on fragile footing, especially if another police shooting takes place. Bucks point guard George Hill said Monday, “First all, we shouldn’t have came to this damn place to be honest.”
Toronto All-Star Pascal Siakam said before the postponements, “It makes me question if this was the right decision.”
Once the entire first-round series have concluded, families and friends of players are allowed to enter the NBA bubble and perhaps that will provide a bit of a return to normalcy. NBA sources have indicated players have found the bubble environment mentally taxing without family and friends and no fans.