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The shooting of Jacob Blake seven times by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin has added a layer of sadness, anger, and frustration to the NBA bubble, where the majority Black league has had to once again face issues of police brutality and racial violence. LeBron James reacted after last night’s Game 4 by discussing the frustrations and fear Black people feel in this country, both with the police and armed citizens carrying out violence. But the conversation on Tuesday changed a little bit with two teams, the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors, preparing to start their second-round series later this week.
Players on both teams expressed their disillusionment that little has changed after getting to the bubble, despite the league’s social justice messaging, while also acknowledging that both teams have discussed not playing.
Marcus Smart of the Celtics said that what the NBA has been trying to do is not working.
"It's been talked about, but we haven' confirmed anything. It's definitely in the back of our minds to not play."
Makes it clear the players need to get on the same page and make a decision. Game 1 of BOS-TOR is Thursday.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) August 25, 2020
Raptors guard Norman Powell also said that a boycott is among the things being discussed while going off on how tired he is of having to talk about the same issue over and over again with nothing changing.
Powell: "Taking a knee for the anthem, that's not getting the job done. That's getting washed out…Something has to happen where you're forcing those people who can make the change to do something."
Asked about boycott, says a lot of things have been talked about.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) August 25, 2020
LeBron said after the game that his mind is both focused on the task of the Lakers on the court but also on how to improve the lives of Black people. But it’s become clear that how LeBron feels is not the only strong feeling among players in the Orlando bubble. Game 1 of Celtics-Raptors is scheduled for Thursday.
