We’re living in some difficult times right now. NBA players have used their platform to speak up on the social injustice issues that continue to hurt the United States and only agreed to restart the season as long as they had a chance to speak up.
However, given how things have turned lately and the aftermath of Jacob Blake being shot by the police, it seems like NBA players could even take it further, as there have even been discussions about potentially boycotting the season, according to Fred VanVleet:
“We knew coming here or not coming here was not going to stop anything, but I think ultimately playing or not playing puts pressure on somebody. o, for example, this happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin, if I’m correct? Would it be nice if, in a perfect world, we all say we’re not playing, and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks — that’s going to trickle down. If he steps up to the plate and puts pressure on the district attorney’s office, and state’s attorney, and governors, and politicians there to make real change and get some justice,” VanVleet started.
“I know it’s not that simple. But, at the end of the day if we’re gonna sit here and talk about making change then at some point we’re gonna have to put our nuts on the line and actually put something up to lose, rather than just money or visibility. I’m just over the media aspect of it, it’s sensationalized, we talk about it everyday, that’s all we see, but it just feels like a big pacifier to me,” He concluded.
Marcus Smart also chipped in by confirming that boycotting the season was indeed a possibility that’s been discussed among NBA players right now as they look to make an impact far beyond the hardwood:
“We came down here trying to speak out and play basketball and it’s not working. We need to try something different. (…) It’s been talked about, but we haven’t confirmed anything. It’s definitely in the back of our minds to not play,” Smart told Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
"We came down here trying to speak out and play basketball and it's not working. We need to try something different. . . It's been talked about, but we haven’t confirmed anything. It's definitely in the back of our minds to not play."
– Marcus Smart
(h/t @JaredWeissNBA ) pic.twitter.com/eFCuKOmxtQ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 25, 2020
I think I speak for most fans when I say that I would love to see the season coming to a sudden end, especially after all the effort the league has put in the bubble. Then again, there are things that are just bigger and more important than sports.
