With the 2019-20 NBA season being continued in Orlando, the remaining 16 playoff teams shocked the world by boycotting their games amid the Jacob Blake shooting.
Though the season would resume just days later, not every team supported a return at all, with the Lakers and Clippers being the two teams who voted against the return of the playoffs.
Sources: The Lakers and Clippers have voted to boycott the NBA season. Most other teams voted to continue. LeBron James has exited the meeting.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2020
Months later, with the Lakers being named the NBA Champions, they are now disputing the claim that they were ever opposed to finishing out the season.
“For three days we were unsure. I know our (Lakers) group always had the intent to finish this thing, finish this out. Obviously, we had a couple guys that were heavier-hearted on the social justice issues, so while all that was going on, I thought there was potential for us to not finish, but I just knew where our particular team and our leadership was, there was a desire to finish. So, I always felt like it would get done,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said on ESPN Radio.“When that report came out that quote-unquote ‘the Clippers and the Lakers voted to not finish the season,’ I was shocked, I was floored, I didn’t really understand it. We met with some of our guys to get their perspective and it was really just like an unofficial poll of like how (they were) feeling in the moment, you know what I mean? I think some more conversations continued to happen and it became clear that we were all interested in staying to play.”
LeBron James was very active in speaking up during the boycott period, taking a stance for Jacob Blake while also orchestrating the NBA’s response to the crisis.
Change doesn’t happen with just talk!! It happens with action and needs to happen NOW! For my @IPROMISESchool kids, kids and communities across the country, it’s on US to make a difference. Together. That's why your vote is @morethanavote ✊🏾 #BlackLivesMatter
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 27, 2020
Whether you believe the reports about the Lakers’ stance on continuing the season or not, it seems they are making an attempt to portray to us that their desire to finish this season was always there.
It really makes you wonder what really went down during those Orlando boycott meetings…
