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NBA players and coaches condemned both the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump and the decision not to indict the police officer who shot Jacob Blake, with protests before and even during several matches.
Some players wanted to go further.
Following Wednesday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George said he was reportedly in favor of shutting down the NBA:
Paul George: “I should have done everything to get the league to shut down. I think this is something that certainly should have been resolved, but there is a fine line because it gives people some positivity to watch the games. … but I certainly should have been all for [NBA] switch off”
– Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) January 7, 2021
George was joined in his opinion by teammate Marcus Morris Sr., who was making his first game of the season with a lingering knee injury.
From NBC Sports:
“I think it happened so quickly that it was one of those things where we just made the decision as a whole to take a knee. But my personal opinion was not enough. I don’t think we should have even played. But we did, and we got together, and we thought taking a knee was appropriate.
“It was not raised. I think the guys were already playing. But if it was my decision, I wouldn’t have done it.
The precedent for an impromptu stop of the NBA in protest is well established. The NBA playoffs were suspended for a day after the Milwaukee Bucks players refused to play in the wake of Blake’s shootout, followed by the rest of the league.
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat looked set to repeat history when they left the court ahead of their game early Wednesday. Instead of refusing to play, however, they decided to kneel before the game and issue a joint statement protesting the treatment of blacks over the muffled response to Trump supporters by the Capitol Police.
The Bucks also reportedly considered another wildcat strike to protest the decision not to indict the officer who shot Blake, but were pressured into playing by Blake’s father Jacob Blake Sr., according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel :
[Giannis] Antetokounmpo said the team received a message from Jacob Blake’s father that the family wanted them to play and use their platform, which the league’s most valuable player said gave them pause for thought. to a different demonstration method.
Warriors forward Draymond Green also said he didn’t think more strikes were the answer via The Los Angeles Times:
“There’s always that scream of ‘Cancel NBA game. Protest the game. Don’t gamble, “Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “But if we are to protest these games and not play, everyone in America has to be on the same [wavelength]. Oh, the NBA canceled the game and didn’t play but everyone gets to work? I mean that’s not the answer in my opinion. The NBA does what the NBA can. We talk, we do everything everyone else has done. But at some point, we need lawmakers to change the laws. “
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