“I was surprised initially,” Beal, a Washington Wizards guard, said in a phone interview. “But at the same time, you had no other feelings but respect, joy and this mind-set of: ‘That’s the right move. It’s the only move.’ “They set the example, and the rest of the league followed,” continued Beal, who is not at the N.B.A. restart in Florida because of an injury. “That just shows how much of a league we are, how much we pride ourselves on being more than just ballplayers.”