When the NBA players decided to play the rest of the 2019-20 season in Orlando, they decided to inform the league that they wanted the focus to remain on social justice, police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. Since being at Disney World, players have used their media availability to bring justice to Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in Louisville after police officers issued a warrant not to knock.
The NBA is committed to donating money to organizations that directly serve black communities. TV commercials played during matches calling for equality. Players like Patty Mills and Jrue Holiday have donated their entire salary to social justice causes and to serve the black business community. LeBron James started a voting rights group with other athletes aimed at fighting voter suppression in the black community.
The focus remained on social justice. However, the latest police shooting of an unarmed black man named Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday, weighed heavily on the minds of players and coaches within the NBA bubble. .
After news surfaced Thursday that the Celtics and Raptors were seriously discussing boycott game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Milwaukee Bucks did not show up on the pitch for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Bucks have decided to skip Game 5 in protest.
Also, The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets players and Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers players have decided they will join the Bucks by boycotting their 5 game match scheduled for Thursday night.
Shortly after, the NBA released an official statement on the decisions made Wednesday, as it announced that the three games scheduled for the day would be postponed.
“The NBA and National Basketball Players Association announced today that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision not to speak today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – Bucks vs Magic, Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers – have been postponed. The fifth game of each series will be rescheduled. “
Raptor guard Fred VanVleet spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed what he and his teammates were thinking.
“We knew that coming here or not coming here wouldn’t stop anything, but I think in the end playing or not playing puts some pressure on someone.
So, for example, this happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin, am I right? It would be great if, in a perfect world, we all said we don’t play, and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks – this is going to drip. If you step up and pressure the district attorney’s office, state attorney, governors and politicians there to make a real change and get some justice.
I know it’s not that simple. But, at the end of the day, if we sit here and talk about making the change, then at some point we’re going to have to put our balls on the line and actually put something to lose, rather than just money or exposure. I just got over the media aspect. It’s sensational, we talk about it every day, that’s all we see, but to me it looks like a great pacifier. “
While VanVleet declined to go into detail on how the Raptors will respond to the shooting of Blake, who according to his lawyer is paralyzed from the neck down, the stellar guard said many options were up for debate.
“I’ll keep him on our team,” VanVleet said. “We’re dealing with it in real time and I think it affects everyone differently. It’s pretty cool in my mind, and I’m sitting in front of a camera, so I’m just talking as I’m going. But, yes, there are a lot of things. several of which we have discussed. “
Raptors coach Nick Nurse went on ESPN Radio and said so Boycotting Game 1 is something the team talked about, but I have not made any decisions on.
“We are listening to them. I think our President Masai Ujiri and I have opened the floor to these guys during much of this and have had several meetings just like an open forum to put their thoughts, feelings and ideas on the table.” Said the nurse. “Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell and Kyle Lowry said in our meeting yesterday that this was something they wanted to explore and talk about and that we will meet shortly so we will have more information in a while, but we will hear them.”
Raptors All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry also told ESPN’s Jay Williams via text that the team is “exploring anythingIn response to the team’s stance on boycotting the match. The nurse took to the media on Wednesday to reiterate that everything is on the table, and some players have also expressed a desire to leave the bubble and go home:
“I don’t think I can probably put a percentage on it or anything”, The nurse said. “I think, once again, there are discussions going on. I think it’s on the table. You know, there are other ideas on the table too. I don’t know.”
Although the Celtics held team meetings to discuss Jacob Blake’s shooting, manager Brad Stevens said no one expressed they didn’t want to play. Celtics striker Marcus Smart said something else needs to be done besides kneeling for the national anthem and wearing shirts.
“We tried to be peaceful, on our knees, we tried to protest,” said Smart. “And for us, we’ve been trying to come here and be together, play this game and try to make our voices heard. But it doesn’t work, so obviously something needs to be done. Right now, our focus shouldn’t really be basketball. . I understand it’s the playoffs and all, but we still have a bigger underlying problem going on and the things we’ve tried haven’t worked out. So we absolutely have to take a different approach and we absolutely need to try new things to make it happen. work this thing the way we know it should and make our voices heard even more. “
Other coaches and league players have expressed their disgust and general sadness at Blake’s shooting, and while the NBA has agreed to make the season’s comeback focus on social justice issues, there’s just so much that these players can do while a bubble away from the real world. For now, though, as the NBA season progresses, players will continue to find new ways to bring about real and tangible change.
