Had this been a normal week, I would start this NBA Bubble recap with an ode to Luka Dončić, who gave one of the greatest performances I’ve seen in years. However, this was no normal week. In fact, this will be a week that will go down in history. The storyline of the week revolves around the strike.
Top Story: The NBA Players Decide To Strike
To quickly summarize what happened, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to not play their game against the Magic. The strike was in response to the situation involving Jacob Blake, an African American man who was shot seven times in the back by police officers. It’s important to note that the incident occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is about an hour away from where the Bucks play at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks-Magic cancellation set off a domino effect that shook not only the entire league but the entire sports world.
The bombshell from the meeting involved the Lakers and Clippers, who voted to abandon the season. Notably, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, the two best players in the bubble, spoke up about not wanting to play.
After taking some time to think it over, the players once again met in the morning and decided to restart the league.
The decision to not play games inside the NBA and WNBA bubbles trickled into the MLB and NHL.
It’s truly been an unprecedented two days in sports. We are going to look back years from now and remember August 26, the day the players took action. Many former players and coaches such as Chris Webber, Doc Rivers, and Renee Montgomery gave passioned speeches that put a spotlight on social justice. In particular, a line in Webber’s speech is one that has stuck with me since I watched the clip. Webber said, “I don’t know the next steps. I don’t really care what the next steps are because the first steps are to garner attention. And they have everyone’s attention… Don’t listen to these people telling you to not do anything because it’s not gonna end right away. You are starting something for the next generation.”
Whether you agree or disagree with the decision to strike, the fact is the NBA and many athletes have our attention. What happens next? I leave you with an article about Maya Moore, who literally put her athletic career on hold to fight for social justice.
What are your top storylines from Week 4 inside the NBA bubble? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.
