Details are still being finalized but it's looking likely that Game 5 of the Lakers' first-round series against the Trail Blazers will be on Saturday.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) August 27, 2020
Posts
Excellent leadership from NBPA is responsible for a smart decision
(cont)
in getting players to see the bigger picture-not just the financial implications of walking away from the rest of the season, but losing the strength of the platform they have in the bubble to continue to push for the changes they want.”https://t.co/0W3jZte0hC
— The Lakers Review (@TheLakersReview) August 27, 2020
Games could resume as soon as Friday
The resumption of playoff games could come as soon as Friday, but there is expected to be a return to this season by the weekend, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/A2PazNKDhy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
There is a meeting of NBA owners and players set for later today, sources tell @MarcJSpears and me. The discussion is expected to include plans of action moving forward on social justice issues.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
The NBA’s players have decided to resume the playoffs
The NBA's players have decided to resume the playoffs, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/129901432048805478
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Sources: Players today discussed the sacrifices all of them have made to reach this point in the postseason, and sense of normalcy returning with families entering Disney Campus. Players who voted not to play on Wednesday night understood.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2020
Yahoo Sources: There was a change in position from last night with LeBron James, among others, relaying it was in their best interest to finish out the season.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 27, 2020
The NBA has paused the playoffs. Now what?
This is a great look at where the NBA stands now from @hmfaigen. https://t.co/A2CEjPA8BH
— Sabreena Merchant (@sabreenajm) August 27, 2020
The NBA playoffs have been postponed for at least one day, and there is at least a chance of more delays to come.
So if it ends today, or over the next few days, how will the NBA bubble be remembered? For one, history books will reflect that the league was once again a trendsetter on doing the right thing. But while it was the league office that made the (correct) call to halt the season after one positive coronavirus case, this time it was the players refusing to give people a distraction from the fight against systemic racism that is clearly a long way from over.
And even if it the NBA doesn’t crown a champion, the achievements the bubble helps spearhead may be much further reaching. It has helped set off similar protests in other pro sports that may snowball into real change if they wake people up, and on the coronavirus front, the league’s and players union’s efforts in Orlando helped pioneer a saliva-based coronavirus test that could make it far more affordable and feasible to turn the tide of this pandemic.
But make no mistake: there would be consequences to the season being halted, both near and far reaching. NBA ownership may tear up the collective bargaining agreement, and contracts around the league will likely be impacted. But we can discuss these and the many other impacts of all this at a later date, if and when they happen.
For now, the news that is in jeopardy will undoubtedly make everyone who loves this sport sad. But if that’s the thing we have to be most upset about today, then we should probably count ourselves lucky, think about the privilege that allows for that to be our biggest problem, and do what we can — with our votes, with our emails, with our phone calls and more — to fight the systemic racism that is hurting so many more people than just the players we love to watch, and has left them ultimately on the verge of stepping away.