With the Portland Trail Blazers’ 126-122 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, the 2019-20 NBA season is officially in the books.
Most of the NBA’s players will agree that NBPA President Chris Paul deserves special credit for helping to make that possible. Count his rookie teammate Darius Bazley among them.
Since play was suspended in March, many people, including the players association’s executive director Michele Roberts have been complimentary of Paul for his dedication and resourcefulness. As he’s capably led the Thunder on the court all season long, he represented their interests of his constituents through the union’s negotiations with both the NBA and Disney.
With the season having concluded, the Thunder have officially entered the postseason as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, something nobody thought possible in the immediate aftermath of the trades of Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
Had it not been for Paul, the team probably wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity, as there was a real possibility that the 2019-20 season could have been canceled.
I know a lot of people played a role in the restart of the NBA but we all owe @CP3 a round of applause for his efforts and time invested towards making this thing happen👏🏽 Thank you CP!
— Bazley (@BazleyDarius) August 15, 2020
Although the NBA Playoffs are set to begin on Monday, Aug. 17, the Thunder will open postseason play on Tuesday, Aug. 18. They tip off against the Rockets at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Obviously, Chris Paul will be there. So will Darius Bazley.