League, players reach agreement to resume NBA play-offs on Sunday
The NBA players have agreed to resume playoffs on Sunday following the League’s agreement to support social justice and racial equality.
NBA stars have gone on strike since Wednesday in protests of Jacob Blake who was shot last week by the police in Wisconsin. This has led to the postponement of a series of sports fixtures in the U.S.
NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, in a joint statement released on Friday August 28, 2020, said, “We had a candid, impassioned and productive conversation yesterday between NBA coaches, players and team governors regarding next steps to further our collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality.
“All parties agreed to resume NBA play-off games on Saturday August 29.”
As part of the agreement, it was stated that the league would establish a social justice system that would look into pressing issues concerning justice and equality.
“The NBA and its players have agreed to immediately establish a social justice coalition where representatives of 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.”
Also stated in the statement is the league’s readiness to promote greater civic engagement in national and local elections through cooperation with its players and network partners.
“The league will work with players and our network partners to create and include advertising sports in each NBA playoff game dedicated to promoting great civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity,” the statement reads.
It was also said it would create economic empowerment in the black community by setting up an NBA Foundation that would cater for that specific need.
“These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart NBA season, providing a platform to promote social justice as well as creating an NBA foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community.”
In conclusion the statement said,
“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.”
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