Playoffs resume as new commitments detailed

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. » The NBA playoffs will resume Aug. 29 after the league and the National Basketball Players Association detailed the commitments that made players comfortable continuing.

In a joint statement released Aug. 28, the sides said they would immediately establish a social justice coalition, made up of players, coaches and owners, that would focus on issues such as voting access and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.

Play stopped Aug. 26 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.

Team owners who also control their arena property will work with local officials to turn the building into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for safe, in=person voting.

And the league and players will work with TV networks to create advertising spots during the remainder of the postseason to promote greater engagement in the election process and their communities.

“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,” the statement read.

“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.”

KEVIN C. COX — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Referees stand on an empty court before the start of a scheduled playoff game between the Bucks and Magic Aug. 26in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.