NBA players in the bubble. " data-reactid="16">LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind for NBA players in the bubble.
Strikes, conflicts, frustration and, ultimately, resolutions have characterized this unprecedented period in the history of sport. And that’s all after players were kidnapped in the Disney bubble, following strict health guidelines and focusing on competition for more than seven weeks.
NBA nearly lost its postseason but managed to find some common ground, come together and move on in a matter of two days. " data-reactid="22">This is how the NBA nearly lost their postseason but managed to find common ground, unite and move forward within two days.
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Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul, who is the president of the players union, has had the tedious and thankless task of bringing players together.
Many were frustrated and emotionally drained after being caught off guard by the Bucks’ refusal to take the field Wednesday for Game 5 of their first-round streak against the Orlando Magic without informing anyone outside the team of their plans.
Players who were to compete in subsequent games felt compelled to stay out because the Bucks’ decision was not part of an organized action plan, sources said.
The Bucks, who are leading 3-1 in the series, intended to force a forfeit and were willing to take defeat and forgo the opportunity to end the series, but the organization did not anticipate being the catalyst for the temporary closure of the championship , the sources say.
The protest was in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man who was shot in the back multiple times Sunday by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as he tried to enter his vehicle. The incident was filmed on video. His three children – ages 3, 5, and 8 – were in the vehicle during the accident, his family’s lawyer said. Blake remains hospitalized.
A meeting of the players was organized on Wednesday at 20:00 to discuss the next move. Some wanted to leave the bubble to be with family, others wanted to leave to join the forefront and support change in the black community, and others felt there was no bigger platform than that offered in the bubble to get their messages across, they said. sources. .
Miami Heat striker Udonis Haslem, whose veteran stature gives him prestige among his peers, was one of the most vocal voices of the meeting, the sources said.
Some players disputed Bucks guard George Hill, who was a central figure in persuading the Bucks not to play and who said on Monday that “we shouldn’t even have come to this damn place” while complaining about Blake’s shooting.
Haslem – in a clear message to Hill – said it was irresponsible and selfish for an established veteran to suggest everyone should go home because younger players haven’t amassed the wealth for such drastic action, the sources said.
LeBron James was one of many players annoyed by the Bucks’ handling of the situation as well, the sources said. For him and many others, he put them in a situation with no chance of winning.
His frustration with Hill and the Bucks was because the players didn’t have an action plan that guaranteed players to get back to playing, the sources said. James’s mindset, the sources said, was if they refuse to play, then what’s the final game and what demands must be met to continue?
Ever since the league suspended play on March 11 due to the coronavirus, James had been a proponent of resuming play if proper health and safety protocols allowed.
But in Wednesday’s meeting, players began to see a shift in his stance when he agreed to go with whatever the majority decided, the sources said.
With emotions everywhere, Haslem pressed on James and asked the star what he planned to do, reminding him that he is the face of the league and it goes as it goes, the sources said.
James then said, “We’re out” and went out with almost all of his teammates following him, the sources said, with Dwight Howard the only Laker left.
The Clippers also exited, joining the Lakers as the only two of 13 teams still on the bubble to vote against completing the rest of the playoffs.
But that wasn’t the only scene that got irritated.
Michele Roberts, executive director of the footballers’ union, asked to speak to talk about the financial consequences of leaving Orlando.
As she was reviewing the numbers, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley cut her off abruptly, saying he didn’t agree with her logic, sources said. Roberts kindly reiterated that these were potential losses the players would suffer, and Beverley interrupted again.
Roberts asked politely if he could continue with his point, and Beverley replied, “No, I’ll pay you your salary,” the sources said.
This caused an uproar with Paul, Haslem and others, who stepped in and told Beverley that disrespect would not be tolerated, the sources said.
After nearly three hours and with the excitement sky high, the players decided to meet again on Thursday at 11am ET to make a final decision on the season.
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A significant source of frustration in Wednesday’s meeting came from players not being on the same page and letting emotions get the better of some. The collective’s hope was that after a good night’s sleep the players would be in a better space to make a correct decision.
When the time came to reunite on Thursday, the match could not begin, the sources say, because one team was missing: the Lakers.
They arrived at the meeting 45 minutes late, the sources said. Before the Lakers and Clippers entered the meeting area, executive committee members turned to James and Clippers who watched Lou Williams to see where their teams were in filming the game, sources said.
James and Williams informed the committee that their teams were on the pitch. Now with the green light from all 13 teams, Paul and Andre Iguodala – the first vice president of the players union – have announced to the players that they would continue with the playoffs.
However, some players objected, asking who voted on their behalf, sources said. Paul and Iguodala assumed the leadership role and said they were intent on playing, and promised they would not move forward without their best interests in mind.
Later that afternoon, there was a Zoom call between the team owners and the players.
During the call, James was strict in asking owners to do more to help the black community and play a greater role in using their resources to combat systemic racism, the sources said.
James had already told the players he was, but depending on how the meeting with the owners went, he would have turned around if things went wrong, the sources said.
After the meeting, James felt comfortable returning to court, the sources said. The owners promised they would get to work on real action items that would benefit the black community, sources said.
James has always supported the Bucks; he just wanted unity and a specific call for action if they were to take a stand, the sources said.
Even though James is only a player, it would have been impossible for the championship to continue had he not changed his position.
Thursday morning’s player-only match lasted just 15 minutes, the sources said. The strike did not happen organically. But Paul, Iguodala, James, Jared Dudley, and other veterans have been working day and night for the past couple of days to find a solution.
NBA came back." data-reactid="67">That’s how the NBA came back.
