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Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and forward Serge Ibaka confirmed that NBA players were seriously considering leaving the Orlando bubble in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.
The NBA playoffs were in danger of being cancelled after players boycotted Wednesday’s games in protest of the shooting of Blake and the unending police brutality. Blake is an unarmed Black man who was shot by a Wisconsin police officer seven times.
During Lowry's post-game interview, he said many players would have left the bubble if the ownership side didn't commit to taking actions and making progress. The Raptors guard also said basketball is in a “backseat” as they use the platform they have right now.
Lowry says the players were seriously considering leaving if progress wasn't committed to on ownership side. Says basketball is in a "backseat" vs. using the platform right now, but they're still playing to their best.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) August 30, 2020
On the other hand, Ibaka told reporters that “they opted to continue using the platform that games provide.”
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https://twitter.com/BlakeMurphyODC/status/1300163367731109888
The Raptors and the Boston Celtics were one of the first teams to talk about boycotting their games. They reportedly started discussing the possibility three days before their schedule matchup.
“Boycotting the game has come up for them as a way to again try to demand a little more action,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Tuesday, per Sportsnet, “and I think that’s really what they want. I think there’s enough attention and there’s not quite enough action, and I think that’s what I can sense from the discussion.”
