The NBA playoffs will resume Saturday after the league and the National Basketball Players Association detailed the commitments that made players comfortable continuing.
Saturday’s games open at 3:30 ET with Magic vs. Bucks on ESPN, followed by Thunder vs. Rockets (6:30, TNT) and Blazers vs. Lakers (9:30 ET, TNT)
The joint statement issued by the NBA and NBPA read, in part, as follows:
“We had a candid, impassioned and productive conversation yesterday between NBA players, coaches and team governors regarding next steps to further our collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality. Among others, the attendees included player and team representatives of all 13 teams in Orlando. All parties agreed to resume NBA playoff games on Saturday, Aug. 29 with the understanding that the league together with the players will work to enact the following commitments:
1. The NBA and its players have agreed to immediately establish a social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.
2. In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID. If a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving boards.
3. The league will work with the players and our network partners to create and include advertising spots in each NBA playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity.”
Play stopped Wednesday when the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the court for their playoff game against Orlando, showing their frustration with the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin and acts of racial injustice.
Games were postponed the last two days before a meeting between owners and players Thursday in which an agreement to resume was reached.
All 13 teams still on the NBA’s campus at Walt Disney World in Orlando are practicing today as the league announced a practice schedule for Aug. 28, which leads off with the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat practicing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and closes out with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers practicing last (3-6 p.m.).
The WNBA, which postponed its games on Aug. 26, also postponed its games on Thursday night.
Players across the NBA have been adamant that more needs to be done to effect social change after the recent police shooting of Blake in Kenosha, Wisc.
The Milwaukee Bucks did not take the floor before the start of Game 5 against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, an action they later stated was due to the police shooting of Blake, subsequent civilian shootings of protestors and the lack of legal response to those and other national occurrences of social injustice that preceded them.
After Wednesday night in Orlando at the Walt Disney World campus housing the season restart, players and owners met to discuss the state of the season. Multiple reports on Thursday confirmed the NBA’s players had decided to resume the 2020 playoffs.
Here’s the latest news on this developing situation:
Doc Rivers: "The key to this, we all needed to take a breath. We needed a moment to breathe. It's not lost on me that George Floyd didn't get that moment. But we did. And we took it. the players took it & got to refocus on things they wanted to focus on outside of their jobs."
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) August 28, 2020
Doc Rivers with a lot of perspective on the past 24 hours and continuing to fight for change pic.twitter.com/OVF9OB7FbR
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) August 28, 2020
Pat Beverley: “We had a very interesting conversation. The PA is like a family. … You don’t always agree with your family members and that’s OK. You communicate about it … And whatever the dialogue was, or whatever you guys think it is, we made things better yesterday.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 28, 2020
Chris Paul: We needed some time, all of us, we needed some time to refocus.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) August 28, 2020
Chris Paul on concern when it seemed like LeBron and Lakers, and Kawhi and Clippers, might walk: It was never about one person, it was never about one team. It was about all of us standing together.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) August 28, 2020
Full release from the NBA and NBPA: Social justice coalition being formed; team governors working to convert all arenas into location for 2020 general election; advertisement spots to promote civic engagement and awareness. pic.twitter.com/piU3gmOxgh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 28, 2020
The Celtics have now canceled media availability, as well.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) August 28, 2020
Statement from the Bucks: "As we return to the court today, our team focus will be on our overall performance and well-being. That said, we will not have media availability today."
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) August 28, 2020
The Raptors, like many other teams, have canceled team availability today as they wait for statements, “given the focus on our team’s wellbeing.” The Milwaukee Bucks have also canceled availability. I have not heard from the Lakers yet but they were scheduled for this afternoon.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) August 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1299369554183942146
@taniaganguli and I on: How LeBron James and NBA players decided to continue playing https://t.co/8kAdLl54HK
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) August 28, 2020
ESPN story with @espn_macmahon on Houston's Russell Westrook participating in his first full-speed 5-on-5 since sidelined with a strained quad. "He looked as explosive as ever," one source said. https://t.co/TB9TaqIdzJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 28, 2020
"Michael Jordan did play a role with the owners, really as a liaison between the owners and the players, in getting the league through this week…"
— @wojespn pic.twitter.com/mJzznRpbeJ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 28, 2020
NBA commissioner Adam Silver pens letter to league employees, obtained by @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium: “I wholeheartedly support NBA and WNBA players and their commitment to shining a light on important issues of social justice.” pic.twitter.com/2SPEunp64I
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 28, 2020
All 13 teams remaining at Disney bubble have scheduled practices today, including Heat this morning. No games scheduled today.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) August 28, 2020
Employees sent a letter to Adam Silver and Mark Tatum saying, in part: “We believe the NBA, its leadership, and the Board of Governors unequivocally have the leverage to do more to directly address and combat police brutality and systemic racism in this country.” https://t.co/dgFLiuqdZY
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) August 28, 2020
Yahoo Sources: Inside the emotional 48 hours that saved the NBA and the vital role of Chris Paul, Andre Iguodala and LeBron James: https://t.co/yovYpwUcRs
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 28, 2020
> More news from yesterday’s protest
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Information from The Associated Press was used in this report
