Following an unprecedented day for the NBA and the sports world, league owners held a private meeting to discuss the situation at hand. According to what a source told ESPN, their support for the players was undeniable.
(via ESPN)
League sources said the owners were unanimous in their support of the players and spent much of their meeting discussing ways in which they could help amplify the players’ voices.
Current Hornets owner, and former basketball superstar, Michael Jordan was apparently a huge voice in the meeting, serving as a ‘bridge’ between the owners and players.
The owners held a virtual meeting on Thursday morning and, it has been confirmed by two participants, Jordan was a voice of reason, urging the other owners to allow the players to express their frustrations and concerns before offering any of their own solutions.
“Right now, listening is better than talking,” Jordan told the group, according to sources.
His experience as a player, and now as an owner, had given him significant pull on both sides of the aisle, and it has proved useful for this particular situation.
“Michael is the perfect person to be in this role,” said a league official who has been privy to discussions on what should happen next. “He’s been a high-profile player who has won championships. He’s also the owner of a small-market team. He has great credibility both with the players and the owners.”
Michael Jordan reached out to CP3 and Russ to see what players wanted to achieve and acted as a 'voice of reason' in a virtual owners meeting, per Jackie MacMullan pic.twitter.com/Ztu0sO15zq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 27, 2020
As for what happens next, that much is still up in the air. But both the players and the owners seem to be siding in favor of resuming the playoffs.
Many of the owners, including Jordan, sources said, favored continuing the season, believing that the games were still the best and most visible platform for social change. The owners will meet again later Thursday to discuss specific ways in which they can help the players meet their goals while continuing to compete for an NBA title, as well as to discuss the scheduling of the resumption of play in the bubble.
The NBA may be the only sports league in the world with this much connection between the players and owners. Despite the unexpected circumstances of the bubble and the boycotts, they have supported and backed the players every step of the way.
As for Jordan, his wisdom isn’t all that shocking to anyone who has bothered to pay attention. Even now, decades following his retirement, his voice is as strong and powerful as ever before.
