As it turns out, the highly-anticipated matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Wednesday was almost boycotted. Cs head coach Brad Stevens himself opened up about the tense moments leading up to the game, with the 44-year-old shot-caller admitting that he too was under the impression that the game was not going to push through.
According to reports, the two teams were in an intense discussion about boycotting the game in the wake of the violence that was taking place in Washington D.C.
According to Mark Medina of USA Today, Stevens said (h/t Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report): “To be honest, at 30 minutes [before tip], I didn't think we were playing. Then coaches left the room, and players talked and chose to play. If our guys chose not to play tonight, they had the full support of my staff, myself and our organization.”
Aside from the rioting that was happening in the U.S Capitol at that time, what the players also had in mind was the recent development in the Jacob Blake shooting case. On Tuesday, Kenosha, Wisconsin prosecutors made the announcement that charges were not going to be filed against the police officer who shot and paralyzed Blake.
In the end, however, the two teams opted to take the court. Prior to tipoff, the Celtics and the Heat came out with a joint statement to address the situation at hand:
“We have decided to play tonight's game to try to bring joy into people's lives. But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America. #BLACKLIVESSTILLMATTER.”
It was Boston who eventually emerged with a 107-105 victory in the matchup, which also featured both teams walking off the playing court mid-game.
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