The top question of the week is…
Should the NBA boycott the current season?
During this very unusual time in this history of the country, the NBA players have been sent to play in a “bubble” in Orlando. The players have been outspoken throughout the year about racial injustice including the majority of them kneeling during the national anthem and having custom expressions on the back of their jerseys. These events followed the brutal murder of 37 year old African American George Floyd, who was suffocated by a white officer on May 25. Leaders of the NBA community wanted to make sure that their voice was being heard and that they would not be silenced. So it is no surprise that when 29 year old African American, Jacob Blake, was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer on August 23, an uproar followed.
Lebron James spoke out about how it is unacceptable to be a person of color in this country and to be fearful of your life every time you come in contact with law enforcement. George Hill felt that the NBA players should have never came to play in Orlando. Hill’s team, the Milwaukee Bucks, became the first team to boycott on Wednesday, August 26, as they decided not to play game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic. This led to the cancellation of all games on August 26 and the NBA decided to hold a meeting in which the players and coaches would vote if they wanted to cancel the season. Only the Clippers and Lakers voted to cancel the season so the NBA could return as soon as August 28. Is this a mistake?
Before the NBA resumed in Orlando, many of it stars could be seen protesting in the streets of their local areas just like anyone else. With their millions of followers, they were sparking a real change that the country had not seen in years. Many players had fears that if they went back to playing basketball, these issues would be put in the back seat once again. It could be argued that is exactly what happened as yet another African American was a victim of police brutality. In order to maximize the seriousness of this issue, all sports, including the NBA should cancel their already pandemic infested seasons and stand up for what is right. Change is needed now and it can’t wait.
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