NBA players are agreeing to restart the season this weekend, but they continue to put pressure on the owners.
After a player-led wildcat strike led to the postponement of NBA games on Wednesday, the players are planning to resume the season sometime this weekend.
The resumption of playoff games could come as soon as Friday, but there is expected to be a return to this season by the weekend, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/A2PazNKDhy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
The initial strike was motivated by the police shooting of Jacob Blake and the subsequent unrest in Kenosha, WI. A 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested after allegedly shooting three protestors and killing two on Tuesday night.
The wildcat strike began with the Milwaukee Bucks and other teams followed suit. The players held a meeting Wednesday night to discuss the possibility of ending the season. The Lakers and Clippers both voted to stop the season with LeBron James leading the charge. Every other team voted to continue.
On Thursday morning, the players held another meeting and formed a unified front to continue the 2020 NBA Playoffs, but this does not mean that they are done advocating for change.
There is a meeting of NBA owners and players set for later today, sources tell @MarcJSpears and me. The discussion is expected to include plans of action moving forward on social justice issues.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
“The bubble is about more than just crowning a champion. More so now than ever. It felt like the message was fading. Hopeful this can create a new level of activism and commitment from our owners, league, teams towards real change,” one veteran NBA player told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
This is a fluid situation that seems to change by the hour. The NBA set off a chain reaction in professional sports that saw the WNBA, MLS, MLB, and ATP postpone games and matches.
There’s more to come on this developing story.
