The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers both voted to cancel the NBA season after a heated and emotional players’ meeting.
Players and fans are on a limbo right now. No one knows what will happen in the next few days in the NBA. Unfortunately, players are fed up with what’s happening outside of the NBA bubble. Yes, they are safe from COVID-19 inside, but that doesn’t mean that racial injustice has suddenly stopped.
Not even COVID-19 could nip the problem in the bud. The U.S. still sees rising numbers of cases, but that hasn’t stopped brutal police violence. As such, the NBA players inside the Orlando campus want to take a stand.
Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers vote for a stoppage
The NBA players had an informal meeting following the boycott of the Milwaukee Bucks of their game against the Orlando Magic. The room was reportedly filled with players that had a thing or two to say. The overarching theme was that something has to be done to put an end to racial injustice.
However, some also reportedly aired out their frustration over what the Bucks did. They said that a more amicable stand should have been sent out. The league and the other players were reportedly caught off guard following the sudden boycott. As a result, the following games of the Thunder versus the Rockets and the Lakers versus the Trailblazers had to follow suit.
While that was aired out, the players put a vote as to whether the season should push through or not. There is still so much basketball left to be played, and the league put out so much effort just to set up the bubble. Among the 30 teams, only the Lakers and the Clippers voted to cancel the season.
Are the players a distraction?
The question above was the hottest issue before the season was reopened. Political analysts and some players shared their ideas that the entertainment may divert the attention from the issues of the society. As a reaction, the league allowed social justice messages to be plastered on the court. It also allowed messages to be worn by the players.
Adam Silver was tolerant of their actions. So long as the protests were peaceful, Silver was all for the support. It remains to be seen how he and the board of governors will react to the boycott. Players are barred from conducting any work stoppage based on their collective bargaining agreement.
However, what the Bucks did was a clear violation of the rules. They could be punished, but the situation doesn’t call for it.
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