By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
While last week the NBPA executive committee approved the NBA’s 22-team format to restart the season, a significant number of players seem to be unhappy about the whole situation.
Taking into account the recent tension regarding racial injustice sparked heavily by the George Floyd tragedy, some players believe it’s bad optics for a league comprised predominantly of black men to be sequestered in one location for up to three months merely to entertain the masses and ease the league’s economic burden.
“What message are we sending by agreeing to this during this time?” a black player told Yahoo Sports. “We’re out here marching and protesting, and yet we all leave our families in these scary times and gather to perform at a place where the owners won’t be at? What type of sense does that make? We’ll be going backwards. That place isn’t that magical.”
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving – who is on the executive committee that voted for the season’s resumption – has taken a step further and organized a call with up to 200 players for Friday (June 12) night to discuss their positions regarding the season’s restart. Irving’s stance is that players should consider not playing.
Additionally, several players have been reluctant to express their views in fear of opposing the superstars who are adamant about playing if proper safety measures are in place. There is also a faction of players that is noncommittal on a return because it hasn’t received enough feedback and information on how the league plans to facilitate a safe return.