NBA Boycott Leaves Future Of Season Uncertain As Lakers, Clippers Consider Opting Out

The NBA season is in limbo after the players decided to boycott all three of Wednesday’s playoff games and multiple teams reportedly voted in favor of canceling the remainder of the postseason.

The Milwaukee Bucks decided not to play Game 5 of their first-round series with the Orlando Magic in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha Wisconsin, just 40 miles south of Milwaukee. The boycott had a domino effect on the rest of the schedule, culminating in a meeting between every team about how to move forward inside the NBA’s bubble in Orlando, Florida.

A three-hour meeting at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort ended without a firm resolution, according to multiple reports. The players are set to meet again at 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, the same time that the NBA owners will be a meeting of their own.

Of the 13 teams still in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers were the only teams that said they were in favor of canceling the season, according to multiple reports. Lakers star LeBron James suggested that the league’s owners haven’t done enough to support the players and their movement for racial justice, Yahoo Sports reports. James abruptly walked out of the meeting, shocking players, The Athletic reported.

Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat asked how the season could continue without the Lakers and Clippers, The Athletic reports.

James, the sport’s top star, holds so much sway that his decision could ultimately make or break the season. He was a leading voice in trying to restart the season a few months ago as other players voiced concerns about playing while protests against racial injustice continued across the country.

Earlier this month, the league announced that team owners will contribute $300 million over the next 10 years to a new foundation created by the NBA that is “dedicated to creating greater economic empowerment in the Black community.”

Very little appeared to be resolved at Wednesday's meeting in what was an emotional meeting that ended “ugly,” The Athletic reports. It’s unknown if the players will come to a final decision about the remainder of the season in Thursday’s meetings, though the day’s games are not expected to be played as scheduled, according to ESPN.

Whatever the result, the players hope to get on the same page, which wasn’t the case Wednesday. Teams were reportedly caught off guard with Milwaukee’s decision not to take the court for their game against Orlando.

Chris Paul and Andre Iguodala, the president and vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, respectively, pushed for the players to present a united front, ESPN reports.

There are voices in the bubble that are advocating for the season to continue. Clippers Coach Doc Rivers reportedly told the players to use their platform and stay in Orlando. Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown asked what players would be doing for social justice if they left the bubble and canceled the season, ESPN reports.

There are also financial considerations with $1 billion in national TV revenue at stake in the bubble and the potential for the owners to terminate the collective bargaining agreement if the season isn’t finished.

With so many questions and very few answers, the future of the current NBA season appears to be as uncertain as it was more than five months ago when games were suspended indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.