It has been a tough week for the NBA community, as players faced the thrill of seeing yet another example of police violence against Black Americans when Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by police Kenosha. This led to players refusing to play in protest and they met multiple times to discuss whether to resume the game and the actions they wanted the league and owners to take.
Additionally, the world of basketball has faltered with the loss of legendary Arizona basketball manager Lute Olson, former UConn and NBA star Clifford Robinson and actor, NBA fan and friend of many players Chadwick Boseman in the round. a few days. Players have offered mementos of all of these in the past few days on social media, and prior to the Bucks and Magic playing Game 5 in Orlando, the NBA held a moment of silence for Olson, Robinson, and Boseman before the national anthem as the players knelt. the lateral line.
It is the culmination of what has been a brutal and exciting week, in the middle of a brutal and exciting year. Like so many of us, gamers are balancing their job obligations with constant mental health stressors, which are only amplified by being away from family in the Bubble. Andre Iguodala recently talked about how the game break was an opportunity for players to hit the refresh button and talk about these issues with each other and take some off their chest, but the league and teams will have to continue. find ways to address players’ mental health during the playoffs.
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