The uncertainty around the 2019-20 NBA season continues, although it has been reported that players and executives around the league believe the playoffs will resume this weekend and will be finished. The uncertainty all started with the Milwaukee Bucks’ boycott of their playoff game against the Orlando Magic yesterday, causing a chain reaction of events that led to all Wednesday and Thursday games being postponed/boycotted. Discussions happened throughout the league, culminating with an apparently emotional meeting between players last night that included LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and the rest of the Lakers and Clippers voting to cancel the remainder of the season. This is all in response to the unjust police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin that resulted in him being paralyzed from the waist down.
As I said previously, it has been reported this morning that playoffs will continue in light of the Lakers and Clippers saying last night that they would not finish the season. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports that this may be because of LeBron James and others having a “change of position” from their decisions last night.
Yahoo Sources: There was a change in position from last night with LeBron James, among others, relaying it was in their best interest to finish out the season.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 27, 2020
LeBron James tweeted last night, saying “FUCK THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT”. He has followed that up with a tweet this morning, continuing his fight to encourage young people to vote, specifically sending a message to his I Promise School in Akron, OH.
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 @morethanavote ✊🏾 #BlackLivesMatter
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 27, 2020
LeBron obviously hasn’t tweeted his personal opinion on whether or not the season should resume or should cancel, but he will obviously continue to preach social justice change through voting whether he is on the court or off the court. LeBron has been one of the most influential athletes on society during his time in the NBA, and it appears that young players like Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum reached out to him early on in the day yesterday, around the time of the Bucks’ boycott early in the afternoon (reported by Joe Vardon/The Athletic).
As soon as the Bucks’ protest began, Donovan Mitchell was on the phone with LeBron, talking about next steps. A wild 18 hours later, the NBA Playoffs are back on. @ShamsCharania @sam_amick @davidaldridgedc and I @TheAthleticNBA https://t.co/8Be1an7dYM
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) August 27, 2020
We’ll continue to update our website with more information on where the season stands, although it appears now that the NBA may resume games as early as Friday. Either way, expect the league and the players to come together to make an improvement to their ways of bringing societal change, as the already instituted practices have obviously not been enough to make a greater change to this country.
