After the Bucks started a strike in pursuit of racial justice, NBA players reportedly left their meeting last night divided. Most teams voted to continue the playoffs. LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard led the Lakers and Clippers in opposition.
But players found common ground through the night and decided: They’ll resume the season
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The NBA's players have decided to resume the playoffs, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
Today's three playoff games will be postponed, source tells ESPN. Discussion underway on when teams will resume play. https://t.co/A2PazNKDhy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
There is a meeting of NBA owners and players set for later today, sources tell @MarcJSpears and me. The discussion is expected to include plans of action moving forward on social justice issues.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Sources: NBA players -- and league -- are aiming to restart games Friday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2020
Tim MacMahon of ESPN:
Sources: There will be another meeting later today with two players per team. https://t.co/EghY102JcM
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) August 27, 2020
The Bucks had specific demands – asking the Wisconsin State Legislature address police accountability, police brutality and criminal-justice reform.
Has there been meaningful progress on that front? Have players gained anything through this strike besides attention to their cause (which isn’t nothing, but isn’t necessarily a reason to end a strike that would continue to draw attention)?
It’s unclear how popular this strike ever was among players. The Bucks started this movement without first getting other teams on board.
Despite talk of players boycotting the resumption before it began, about 98% of players reported to the bubble. None of the players sitting out cited social justice as their primary consideration.
Police shooting Jacob Blake definitely shook players. But enough to change the play-or-not stance of a critical mass of players when their salaries were on the line? Apparently not.
Some players could still leave the bubble. It is definitely understandable how someone would feel he can’t focus on basketball at a time like this and want to devote his energy to other causes. Anyone making that decision should be supported.
Presumably, the continuing players won’t have their salaries reduced.
Today’s games – Jazz-Nuggets Game 6, Raptors-Celtics Game 1, Clippers-Mavericks Game 6 – being postponed would mean each active series had exactly one game postponed. The entire schedule could simply be pushed back a day with only minor inconvenience.
By quickly deciding to return to work, players lose the ability to hold out for bigger gains. Yet, even if they didn’t get any concrete action now, the players raised more attention for their issues by striking and and protected their paychecks by resuming. That’s a victory.