NBA players held a meeting for nearly three hours at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort on Wednesday night to discuss whether to finish the remainder of the postseason, league sources told Yahoo Sports. " data-reactid="16">LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – NBA players held a nearly three-hour meeting at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort Wednesday night to discuss whether to end the rest of the post-season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers voted to quit for the remainder of the postseason and were the first two teams to leave the match, sources said.
LeBron James left the impression among those who attended the bout that he would rather end the season, the sources said.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has made it known that it’s all about getting out and going home, sources said.
The players have planned to schedule a meeting for 11am ET on Thursday to dig into the details and possibly make a final decision on the future of the postseason, the sources said.
Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot in the back multiple times Sunday by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while trying to get into his vehicle, and the incident was captured on video. His three children – ages 3, 5, and 8 – were in the vehicle during the accident, his family’s lawyer said.
Several players expressed their views and there was passionate dialogue during the match, the sources said, but tensions have sometimes heated up.
At one point, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley called the union leadership for lack of transparency, sources said.
Players were frustrated that the Bucks decided to quit Wednesday’s first round game 5 against the Orlando Magic without informing the union or the Magic, sources said.
The argument was that it put the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers – who were supposed to play Wednesday – in a predicament as the fate of the day’s game list was in the balance, the sources said.
The Union leadership would have preferred to issue a joint statement announcing that the players had chosen not to take the field, sources said.
The Bucks felt an obligation to lead the strike because Blake’s accident happened in their backyard.
NBA ownership, suggesting it wasn’t doing enough to support players and Black people facing systemic racism, sources said." data-reactid="32">James was also critical of NBA ownership, suggesting he wasn’t doing enough to support players and people of color facing systemic racism, sources said.
Coaches and players started the match together for the first 90 minutes, then the coaches were apologized, sources said.
Whatever the players decide, it will have far-reaching ramifications in society and the sports landscape.
The Bucks refused to go to court on Wednesday. (Kevin C. Cox / Pool photo via AP)
