Look now:
NBA to return to play
(5:54)
LeBron James, Chris Paul and a small group of players spoke with Barack Obama on Wednesday to discuss the fate of the 2019-20 NBA season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. With the season in the balance, Obama would advise them to play and “use the opportunity to contextualize the action they want to play,” according to Charania. They also discussed forming a player action committee with the hope that Obama would be involved in some way. The players ultimately decided to finish the season on Thursday morning.
The call itself came after Wednesday’s heated players reunion, in which James’s Los Angeles Lakers and Kawhi Leonard-led Los Angeles Clippers initially voted not to finish the season. James was reportedly frustrated with Milwaukee’s unilateral decision not to play and would have preferred they had communicated the plan to the Players Association so he could have a union-wide approach. Bucks guard George Hill admitted during the meeting on Wednesday which sparked the conversation about sitting outside during pre-game, according to Charania, and a number of Bucks did the pre-game warm-up expecting to play.
James wanted a direct plan for what he would accomplish, and while the league and NBPA announced plans to form a social justice coalition and turn arenas into voting centers, James nevertheless made it clear to owners that he expects that the league continues to work for racial justice and help poor communities after the season ends.
Obama, a longtime Chicago Bulls fan, has cultivated strong relationships with a number of NBA stars during his presidency. James and Paul have both played in shooting games at the White House, as well as retired legends like Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, and Alonzo Mourning. Paul served on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition along with another NBA superstar, Grant Hill.
