- After boycotts of playoff games on Wednesday to protest against Jacob Blake’s police shooting, NBA players held an exciting rally that apparently ended “ugly”.
- According to reports, the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers voted early in the season, though one ESPN report described it as “polling” instead of a formal vote.
- According to one report, LeBron James called for action by team owners for social justice reform and left the meeting early.
- Other teams that were still in the NBA bubble would reportedly have voted to continue the season, but discussions continue.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The NBA season is on the verge of ending early after a meeting on Wednesday where players, coaches, and referees are present. David Aldridge of The Athletic described as ending “ugly.”
The remaining teams in the Disney World Bubble held a meeting after all six NBA teams were boycotted Wednesday to protest games against the murder of Jacob Blake police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The boycotts began when the Milwaukee Bucks did not take the floor for Game 5 of their series in the first round against the Orlando Magic.
Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported – and it has meanwhile been reported by other NBA insiders – that the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers both voted to boycott the rest of the season. According to Charania, LeBron James left the meeting early and was followed by the rest of the Lakers and Clippers.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski described the vote as “more of a vote” than as a final vote, and that there has been no final decision.
Charania reports that the other remaining teams voted to continue playing.
During the meeting, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported that players felt that sitting one game was “pointless.” In addition, players, including James, demanded to see action from owners, and that if season could not be agreed upon over the season, then the season could be over, according to Mannix.
NBA Reporter Jeff Goodman tweeted that one NBA player called the meeting “emotional” and “heated,” but hoped cooler heads would overcome Thursday.
—Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) August 27, 2020
—Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) August 27, 2020
Wojnarowski reported that meetings are likely to continue Thursday, although the three playoff games scheduled for Thursday are likely to be postponed.
