Details on NBA players’ plan to restart revealed
By Mike Luciano
The NBA will resume action on Saturday after a few days of protests.
Just when it seemed like the NBA was on the verge of canceling their 2020 season following the Milwaukee Bucks’ stunning protest after Jacob Blake’s shooting, the league’s decision-makers have decided to play on after players and owners met, as there is a belief that social change can be generated from the hallways of the Grand Floridian at Disney World.
The three main points mentioned by NBPA executive director Michele Roberts that helped bring many players that were on the fence back into the fray are the creation of advertisements designed to promote civic engagement, the creation of a social justice coalition, and the conversion of every arena owned by their respective franchise into a polling station to help those in communities vulnerable to COVID-19.
The NBA and NBPA have put out the following joint statement about play resuming Saturday, along with initiatives the players and league will work on together: pic.twitter.com/2Y2e9eFEfd
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) August 28, 2020
Voting and civic engagement were very important to NBA players
The main reason that momentum for a cancelation actually started to kick off was the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers both voted against continuing the season.
Ultimately, LeBron James’ mind was swayed back towards playing the rest of the season. While he was originally upset with the lack of a plan to cause change after Milwaukee’s protest, he changed his mind when the union and league put forward this plan to encourage increased civic engagement.
Sources: LeBron James walked out of Wednesday’s players meeting because he supported Bucks, supported boycott, but there was no plan. For James, actions and outcomes mattered most; otherwise why do this? He became comfortable to play once NBPA mapped out purpose and plans.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 28, 2020
It seemed a bit hairy for a minute, but the chase for ring No. 4 is still very much on for LeBron and his Lakers.
Improving police accountability and social justice on a macro scale aren’t going to be solved in the next few months by a few concerned basketball players. What can help cause social change in a pretty direct way, however, is helping more people get to the polls in November and vote out whoever is making it difficult for social change to blossom.
Whiteboard: What will happen after the protests?. dark. Next