"Shut up and dribble."
Boycott: NBA playoff games called off amid player protest
All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice.
The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their playoff game against the Magic. The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m., with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round.
Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. More discussions were scheduled Wednesday, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act.
https://whyy.org/articles/milwaukee-bucks-players-boycott-nba-playoff-game-after-police-shooting-of-jacob-blake/
The players should start their own league.
In China. For all I care.
It’s kinda funny to me that you say that. If the NBA disappeared tomorrow it would have zero impact on my life whatsoever. It’s as relevant to me as underwater basket weaving or synchronized swimming.
In fact I can’t even think of one person I know offline that’s big into watching the NBA. But that could just be because the Bulls have sucked for so long.
Now I know it’s important to a lot of people and obviously the league commands enough viewership to ink huge TV deals.
But I think with this current limbo sports are in, a lot of people are realizing sports aren’t and shouldn’t be the focal points of their lives as they had been before COVID, and it could have a long lasting impact on the sports economy. Upsetting the fan base that pays their insane salaries by refusing to do their jobs isn’t going to help much either.
If refusing to play a basketball game would truly have one ounce of meaningful impact on the situation they’re boycotting, it would be different. I’m just pretty sure it doesn’t.