Less than 24 hours after the Bucks boycotting Game 5 of their playoff series against the Magic set off a slew of other postponements across the world of sports, the NBA season hangs in the balance.
“We fully support our players and the decision they made,” Bucks owners Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan said in a joint statement. “Although we did not know beforehand, we would have wholeheartedly agreed with them. The only way to bring about change is to shine a light on the racial injustices that are happening in front of us.”
Following a meeting between NBA players and coaches that lasted for nearly three hours Wednesday night to determine the next steps after all of the day’s playoff games were called off, there was no consensus about whether the season should continue, a source told the AP.
“It was emotional,” a player told basketball analyst Jeff Goodman following the meeting. “Heated. It doesn’t look good right now, but we’re all hoping that everyone will sleep on it and maybe we can figure it out tomorrow because most of us still want to find a way to play.”
Another source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin there was “no sense of accomplishment” after Wednesday night’s meeting adjourned and said there was a feeling of “uncertainty.”
In a poll that was reportedly conducted of all the teams remaining in the bubble, all voted to continue the season except the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The superstars who lead those teams, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, reportedly were “adamant” about not playing the rest of the season.
Whether the season continues or not, it sounds as if Thursday’s games will not be played as scheduled. “Everyone is still too emotional,” one high-ranking source told ESPN. “There needs to be more time to come together on this.”
On Thursday morning, the NBA’s board of governors and the players who remain inside the league’s bubble will meet again to attempt to reach a resolution on the fate of the season.
All of this renewed focus on social justice reform comes in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by Wisconsin police while three of his children looked on.
“The biggest thing that we all understand is if we’re not playing, what are we doing? What are we doing to show and to help what’s going on outside this bubble?” Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams said shortly before the Bucks declined to take the floor for their game.
We will find out.
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