While most NBA players are cherishing the opportunity to continue the 2019-20 NBA season, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving feels strongly against it.
Irving was reportedly the driving force behind Zoom meetings of around 200 NBA players, who have voiced out their reservations about the resumption of the season set on July 30 in Disney World in Orlando.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the six-time All-Star had some strong opinions regarding the matter.
“I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. Something smells a little fishy,” Kyrie Irving reportedly told NBA players during the call on Friday.
Kyrie's reservations, of course, stems from the ongoing country-wide protests in the wake of George Floyd's inhumane killing. While the entire country is dealing with racism and social injustice, Irving likely believes basketball should be taking a back seat at the moment.
However, the case could also be made that sports is what the world truly needs right now. With the US in divide, basketball would be a great respite throughout these dark times. The entire NBA has expressed its solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movements. The league could continue honoring its cause without postponing its season.
Regardless of his beliefs, Irving has already confirmed that he won't be playing for the Nets come July. The one-time NBA champion underwent shoulder surgery last March and is still recuperating.
The Nets star is reportedly not the only player having second thoughts about returning to action. High-profile stars like Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers are also in the fence.
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