NBA players will likely not play in the three playoff games scheduled for Thursday night, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wednesday night's meeting with the players and, for part of the time, coaches, focused on whether to continue with the restarted season. For now, at least, the momentum is leaning towards not playing the games on Thursday.
Before a packed room of teams in a hotel ballroom at Disney, the discussion is centering on whether to continue with the playoffs — or end the season, sources tell ESPN. So far, there seems to be momentum not to play the three playoff games on Thursday, but nothing's decided.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
The Milwaukee Bucks made the decision to boycott their Game 5 matchup with the Orlando Magic, and Wednesday's two other playoff games between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, were called off as well.
The NBA Board of Governors has called a meeting for Thursday morning to address the developments of Wednesday's discussion.
Milwaukee's decision not to take the floor comes in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday by Kenosha, Wisconsin police officers. Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot several times while approaching his car. The 29-year-old is currently paralyzed from the waist down at a Milwaukee hospital.
Earlier this week, Bucks point guard George Hill, Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, and other players expressed their outrage at the incident of police brutality and their frustrations about being confined to play basketball in the NBA bubble rather than fighting for racial justice more directly. VanVleet and his teammate, Norman Powell, even raised the possibility of a boycott.
“We can’t do anything,” Hill said Monday about what the Bucks can do in response to the shooting near their city. “First of all, we shouldn’t have even came to this damn place, to be honest.”
Hill then called for change when reading the team's statement regarding their boycott.
“We are demanding the same from lawmakers and law enforcement. We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand for the officers to be held accountable. For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin state legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform,” the veteran NBA guard shared.
Full statement from the Milwaukee Bucks: pic.twitter.com/jjGEyVcCmB
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that Bucks players spoke with Milwaukee Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes in lieu of their boycott to discuss how they can turn their protest into political action.
Barnes told them that the most important thing they could press for, is "for action at every level of government."
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has called a special session of the State Legislature and urged lawmakers to vote on a legislative package that includes police reform
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) August 27, 2020
It remains to be seen what will happen to the NBA, but it is worth noting that a veteran player said the “season is in jeopardy” following the boycotts.
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