Not all NBA players are in favor of the plan that is in place to resume the 2019-20 season, and the league says it is continuing to work with those players to find an acceptable middle ground.
Just when it seemed like the return of the NBA season was set in stone, word surfaced earlier this week that Kyrie Irving is leading a movement to have players refuse to participate in the resumed season in Orlando. On Sunday morning, NBA spokesman Mike Bass told Marc Stein of the New York Times that the league is working to address the concerns raised by Irving and others.
“We understand the players’ concerns and are working with the Players Association on finding the right balance to address them."
— NBA spokesman Mike Bass on worries players have raised about diverting attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement by resuming the season
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 14, 2020
Team union representatives approved the NBA’s 22-team plan to resume the season by a 28-0 vote earlier this month. However, Irving organized a conference call on Friday night in which players voiced their concerns about the restrictions they would face while playing in the “bubble” in Walt Disney World and the optics of resuming the season amid George Floyd protests, among other objections.
It’s worth noting that some of the NBA’s biggest superstars support resuming the season, so that makes it seem likely that the July 30 target date will still hold. We could see some changes with health and safety protocols, but there would be significant financial consequences if the season were canceled.
