In a recent interview, Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal expressed his belief that the NBA should cancel the 2019-20 season. But current Lakers role player Jared Dudley is having none of it.
O’Neal recently spoke with USA Today’s For the Win and made his opinion known.
“I think we should scrap the season,” he said. “Everybody go home, get healthy, come back next year. Just scrap the season. Just scrap it.”
It wasn’t long before Dudley fired back on Twitter, saying that it’s important to find ways to return to a semblance of a normal life, rather than wait for the coronavirus pandemic to end sometime in the future.
Players don’t understand the ramifications if we don’t play this year.. It effects next season as well. No games, no tv money , billions lost in revenue.. There will be no vaccine coming next year also so IF we can be Safe which I have faith in the NBA we can l, we should play. https://t.co/TUec32UfEj
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 10, 2020
Ever since the NBA paused the season back in March, the debate about whether or not the entire season should get cancelled has raged on.
The vast majority of players seem interested in getting back to basketball as soon as possible. That’s especially true for players on title-contending teams such as a the Lakers.
The prospect of working so hard throughout the majority of the regular season only to see the chance to contend for a title ripped away must be highly concerning.
While O’Neal is right to put a focus on health and safety, ways in which the NBA could safely and responsibly return have been mapped out.
Hopefully, the NBA comes to a decision regarding the 2019-20 season soon, and hopefully the decision is that it should return so that Dudley and his Lakers teammates can continue their pursuit of a championship.
