It’s not exactly the 11th hour but as the long days night that is the NBA’s attempts to return in conjunction with the Player’s Association, as well as Disney World and their employee’s union, an important figure on the player’s side as emerged as a voice of resistance among the players on whether players should return to play at all given the current backdrop of racial unrest in the country.
Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reported, along with Howard Beck and Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, that Irving is a force behind organizing a call among the players scheduled for later on Friday.
As @TaylorRooks, @HowardBeck reports, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has organized a call tonight for players to discuss what position they should take. He’s of mindset that during racial tension, not returning to play should be considered, sources say. https://t.co/8W8VaZMxQh
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 12, 2020
Obviously, the previous dramas of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James cannot be escaped here. Irving and his Nets superstar teammate Kevin Durant, according to reports, will not be with their team on the Nets, but their concerns are bigger than just the competition and more about their concerns of playing amid the current social climate. LeBron James has been as vocal as anyone about the current state of the country, police brutality against Black people, and voter suppression, but he is one of many superstar players, including the union president Chris Paul, who appears intent on playing.
However, players and teams have differing concerns, including everything from the current social unrest to the restrictiveness of the NBA’s campus environment, as well as general concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
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