LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA as a whole has dealt with a difficult but historic week. With the 2020 Playoffs in full swing, the Milwaukee Bucks made a shocking decision to boycott their Game 5 matchup against the Orlando Magic.
Their decision was in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is roughly 40 miles from the Bucks’ home arena. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers joined the Bucks that day in sitting out.
Tensions were high within the NBA bubble as the players met multiple times over the course of 24 hours to decide what their plan was moving forward. Perhaps one of the most heated players during this process was James, who reportedly was in support of cancelling the rest of the season.
His initial stance was in response to the Bucks not warning anyone of their intentions to not play Game 5, and not having a concrete plan after the fact, according to The Athletic:
His frustration, per sources both in and outside of his camp, was not with those who wanted to to continue to play; it was with the lack of a plan going forward after the Bucks caught most of their playing brethren off guard with their decision to walk out Wednesday.
While no one, including James, disagrees with the Bucks’ stance on the matter and their decision to boycott, there is an argument to be made that they would have been better served communicating their decision with the rest of the league in order to present a unified front.
What ended up happening was a turbulent day in which players were caught off guard and put into a no-win situation. While it has since been resolved and it seems as though everyone is back in good standing with one another, it’s understandable why James would feel the way he felt.
Moving forward, it appears the NBA and the Players Association are united in their next steps.
NBA, Players Association make deal to resume play
After the events of Wednesday, and the 24 hours of discussions that ensued within the bubble, the league and the Players Association came to an agreement on a plan that would allow play to resume while also enacting real change in the community.
Among the things agreed to were greater access to voting, registration, and ballots in communities hardest hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as donations and advertisements that make specific calls to action.
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