The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have agreed that the playoffs will resume today after a tumultuous couple of days that saw players almost cancel the season.
The league and players union released a joint statement Friday announcing resumption of the games, and said that the league and its players will work together on several initiatives to promote voting access, combat social injustice and racial inequality, and advocate for police reform.
Among the initiatives is advertising that will promote social justice as part of the broadcasts.
“These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart the NBA season, providing a platform to promote social justice, as well as creating an NBA Foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts said in a joint statement. “We look forward to the resumption of the playoffs and continuing to work together — in Orlando and in all NBA team markets — to push for meaningful and sustainable change.
Saturday will see the Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks facing off followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder-Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers-Portland Trail Blazers.
Sunday will see games the Boston Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors, followed by the LA Clippers-Dallas Mavericks, then the Denver Nuggets-Utah Jazz.
The new NBA social justice coalition will have representation from players, coaches and governors and cover increased voting access, promote civic engagement, and advocate for “meaningful police and criminal justice reform.”
In every NBA city where the league’s franchise owns and controls its arena property, team owners will work with local officials to turn those arenas into voting locations for the 2020 general election.
Locally, the Los Angeles Clippers said The Forum will be a voting center from Oct. 24 through Nov. 3. Dodger Stadium will also be the site of a voting center backed by the LeBron James “More Than A Vote” organization.
The NBA has also agreed to create advertising that will appear during each NBA playoff game to promote greater civic engagement in national and local elections, and to raise awareness about voting access.
President Donald Trump is one naysayer on the new diretion. He said he believes what has unfolded is “very bad” for the league.
“It’s terrible,” Trump told reporters. “I think what they’re doing to the NBA in particular is going to destroy basketball. I can’t — I don’t even watch it. … You know when you watch sports, you want to sort of relax, but this is a different world. … You don’t want to stay in politics. You want to relax.”
