NBA players deserve our support whether they play in the league’s reboot or sit out
SACRAMENTO — It’s been 100 days since we last saw NBA basketball. Those 100 days have been hard in many ways, not just for sports fans.
The lack of organized sports has merely been a drop in the bucket. A pandemic swept the globe, hitting our country incredibly hard. A historic civil rights movement has emerged, bringing deep and shameful problems in our society to light.
Countless people have lost their lives from a variety of causes. Many of those losses feel as if they were preventable; all of them are heartbreaking.
We’re finally at a turning point. As the country begins to reopen, and as protests against police brutality slowly wane, there appears to be a push for a return to normalcy.
That push is reflected in the world of basketball. On June 4, the NBA’s Board of Governors approved a plan to finish the season with 22 of its 30 teams at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
But rather than celebrate that basketball could be returning to our lives, I can’t help but wonder if this is the best way to proceed.
Why now? — Why is there now a push for normalcy? Is it because coronavirus cases are steadily dropping? Are the health threats that caused the suspension in check? Are we at least sure it won’t get worse?
Feel free to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. I am not a health professional, but everything suggests the answer is no. In fact, the site of the planned NBA return is in a state where record-high cases are being recorded almost daily.
What about the social progress being made through Black Lives Matter protests? Has the movement accomplished enough to potentially lose momentum as daily sporting events take the spotlight?
Again, each person can answer those questions in their own way. Everyone has their own set of standards. My answer is a profound no.
Now for an easier question. If the league doesn’t restart soon, will there be serious financial repercussions? Have we passed that point already? Will it just keep getting worse the longer we wait?
Yes, yes and yes.
Striking a balance — We want to have it all. Let’s bring back sports while amplifying awareness of social issues, improving everyone’s financial situation and not risk any lives.
But that’s not realistic. The harsh reality is that there will be a giveand-take between these factors.
Everyone would be safer if they just stayed at home, and some players might choose that route. Joe Ingles of the Utah Jazz once suggested that he could walk away from the game entirely if he truly felt he or his family was in danger, though he also expressed confidence that the NBA would proceed in an safe manner.
Other players could choose not to play in order to focus on the fight for racial equality and equity in our society. Renee Montgomery of the Atlanta Dream chose to opt out of the WNBA’s return Thursday, citing momentum for social justice.
Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets has taken a leadership role among players questioning a return to play. He led a conference call with at least 80 NBA players June 12. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Irving was strongly against the return of the NBA season, and wanted instead to work with his community against racial oppression during this time.
Various prominent players agreed with Irving’s stance, but many others were concerned about the financial implications of sitting out. In particular, some fear league owners could put players in a difficult position by using the force majeure provision in the collective bargaining agreement.
Another group of younger players, including De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, have questioned what would happen to their futures if they were injured in the returnto-play period. According to ESPN, they now seek league-financed insurance against potential losses.
There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not to return. The time to make that call is running out, as players must notify their team by June 24 if they are not coming back, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Support and acceptance — I have zero interest in telling NBA players what their goals should be, or how they should go about accomplishing them. What is important to me is trusting the right parties to make those difficult decisions. That means trusting players over team owners, league officials and fans that could be disappointed if their favorite athletes don’t suit up.
We must support NBA players, even if they question league policies, for some very basic and human reasons. Money is important, but a business will never be able to properly balance anything against profit. Finance is the driving factor of the NBA. Individuals are more complex than that, and they deserve our trust to consider the matter in a more personal way than business executives or spectators ever could.
If players want to play, I support that. If they want to earn money, I support that. If they want to use their platform to spread of awareness of social issues, I support that. If they want to stay home over health concerns, I support that.
To all NBA players, I have just one message: If you are ready to play basketball again, I look forward to watching you. If now is not the time, I look forward to waiting, listening and watching our world continue to evolve.