The Los Angeles Lakers finished off the Houston Rockets in Game 5 to advance to the Western Conference Finals. After the game, a small group of protesters showed up just outside the NBA bubble seeking the help of stars such as LeBron James and Russell Westbrook to support their cause, per ESPN.
According to the report, the protesters carried signs and shouted into megaphones to make their statement known and temporarily blocked two NBA buses from entering the complex.
This is the wild scene below from Saturday night:
They’ve now let the bus come through. pic.twitter.com/3pnMvls0qK
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 13, 2020
The people were reportedly near one of the entrances of the bubble, where teams have been staying for the season's resumption.
It's unknown how James and Westbrook reacted to the scene. Nonetheless, the two will certainly take notice of their message considering the protesters were calling for support of the Black Lives Matter movement. This group of protestors is looking for justice for Salaythis Melvin, a 22-year-old Black man who was shot and killed while running from police outside a mall in Orlando in August.
James and Westbrook have been at the forefront of the NBA's advocacy to effect social change while continuing the 2019-20 season. The Lakers superstar, in particular, has been very vocal and was reportedly considering boycotting the rest of the season in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Meanwhile, Westbrook participated in peaceful BLM protests during the NBA hiatus.
James and the Lakers should still be able to use their platform as they move on to the Western Conference Finals. Nonetheless, even if Westbrook and the Rockets have been sent out of the bubble, the 2016-17 league MVP will certainly still use his own platform to continue the fight against social injustice and racism. This is all bigger than basketball, and these stars won't back down.
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