The NBA has apparently moved back from the brink after speculation had mounted that players would boycott the season over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. NBA legend Michael Jordan, now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, is said to have played a key role in the negotiations. Reports that the season would end prematurely first began to emerge on Wednesday night after the Milwaukee Bucks, arguably the best team in the NBA, boycotted their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in protest at the shooting of Blake. Blake, who is black, was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer on Sunday, apparently in front of his children. His family say Blake is now paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin, 40 miles from Milwaukee. The town has since seen demonstrations, which turned deadly when two protesters were shot dead. A 17-year-old has been charged with murder over the killings. Initial reports said that the LA Clippers and LA Lakers had voted to cancel the season on Wednesday night, but ESPN reports that after a series of meetings on Thursday morning players have decided to continue with the playoffs. ESPN reported that Jordan, the only black majority owner in the league, spoke to the NBA Players Association before the discussions started to see what the league could do to ease the situation.“Michael is the perfect person to be in this role,” a league source told ESPN. “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.”A further meeting is due to take place on Thursday to discuss how the league and players can take explicit actions to address racism and social injustice.


All data is taken from the source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/aug/27/nba-season-boycott-lakers-clippers-jacob-blake

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