On Wednesday, in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, at the hands of Kenosha, Wis. police officers, NBA players decided to boycott three playoff games scheduled for that day.
There seemed to be momentum towards canceling the rest of the playoffs, but on Thursday morning, the players voted to continue the postseason.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James gave an impassioned speech during a conference call, during which he highlighted the importance of continuing to fight for social justice.
Sources say Lebron James was the last player to speak on the call and he delivered a strong, thoughtful message to the owners. His main point was that the work has to continue, and the owners have to truly dedicate to advancing this cause.
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 27, 2020
For years now, James has been perhaps the most vocal athlete in the nation on social issues. He has publicly spoken out on issues of race many times, and he recently started the More Than a Vote initiative, which is aimed at combating voter suppression.
On a few occasions, he has criticized President Donald Trump, and last month, the four-time MVP officially endorsed Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in the upcoming November election.
In fact, some around the league have suggested that James run for POTUS himself once his playing career ends.
There is currently no word on when the 2020 NBA Playoffs will resume, although it appears the games that were originally scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday will be rescheduled for this weekend.
