When the Milwaukee Bucks decided to go on strike — not a boycott — for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic in response to Jacob Blake being shot seven times in the back by the police, it turned the NBA on its head.
Suddenly, the idea of finishing out the playoffs was on thin ice. No one knew how long the strike would continue, but now there is clarity.
The NBA season will begin again on Saturday, August 29th. The Denver Nuggets will restart their postseason push the following day on Sunday when they will take on the Utah Jazz for their Game 6 matchup at 6:30pm MDT on TNT looking to stay alive and even the series at three wins apiece.
Here is the full NBA playoff schedule for Saturday and Sunday:
NBA postseason schedule for Saturday and Sunday. pic.twitter.com/FqAN7EODph
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 28, 2020
The players voted to continue the season after multiple meetings, but not without stipulations.
The most pressing matter the players wanted addressed by the league and its governors is support for voting initiatives that will help provide better access to voting in the upcoming presidential election. Here are the three ways the players and governors are approaching those issues in their own words from the joint press release sent out by the NBA and NBPA:
- 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 criminal justice reform.
- 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 cover registration and ballot receiving boards.
- The league will work with the players and our network of 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.
This coalition between the league itself, coaches, governors and players has the potential to truly shift the way the United States of America operates during this upcoming election for the better. With a possible 29 arenas being used to safety vote in 29 different cities, the access to voting is much more functional for thousands upon thousands of people than it was yesterday. That is true actionable change, but the league did not stop there. As outlined in the third point, the league will also be dedicating advertising spots to “promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity”. That means just watching the playoffs could have an impact on access to voting for many.
Everyone involved in the NBA is seemingly on the same page for their next steps which in turn made many players across the league feel better about their involvement in the playoffs moving forward. While the players could always decided to stage another strike if they do not feel enough is being done, it seems that as long as the league and the governors follow through with their promises, the playoffs will be completed.