The NBA and the American Basketball Championship Players Union (NBPA) announced Friday, August 28, that playoff matches would resume on Saturday, three days after the player boycott in protest against racial injustice in the wake of the Jacob Blake case.
“All parties have agreed to resume playoff matches [phases finales du championnat] Saturday 29 August », wrote the bosses of both instances, Adam Silver and Michelle Roberts, claiming to have had “A frank, passionate and productive conversation Thursday between players, coaches and team owners about the next steps to deepen our collective efforts and actions for social justice and racial equality”.
This hour-long telephone meeting, also involving representatives of the players’ union as well as Michael Jordan in a role of mediator with the franchise owners – himself being the only black to be so with the Charlotte Hornets – was decisive , even if the players had voted that very morning for the resumption.
The goal was to launch action plans to step up the fight against racism and to urge franchise owners in particular “To be proactive and not reactive”, according to The Athletic, citing several players.
“Advocacy for a meaningful reform of the police”
Three main axes were detailed in the press release from the NBA and NBPA. The NBA and its players will “Immediately create a coalition for social justice, which will focus in particular on improving access to the vote and advocating for meaningful reform of the police and criminal justice”.
“Franchise bosses, owners of their room, will work with local election officials to convert it into a polling place for the next elections, especially for communities vulnerable to Covid-19”, continues the text.
Finally, “The league will work with players and partners to create and include commercials during each playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections.”
Affected by the fate of Jacob Blake, seriously injured after being shot seven times in the back during his arrest in Kenosha, not far from Milwaukee, their hometown, the Bucks players boycotted the game against the Magic of Orlando. This forced the NBA to postpone it, as well as Houston-Oklahoma City, Lakers-Portland, also scheduled for that day, Clippers-Dallas, Denver-Utah and Toronto-Boston, scheduled for Thursday. It is in this order a priori that the matches will resume, the three of Wednesday, Saturday, and those of Thursday, Sunday.
