BACKLASH

Ahead of Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict, NBA Says Game Cancellations Possible

With the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer who kneeled on George Floyd, nearing its conclusion, the NBA prepares for possible game cancellations ahead of the verdict.

With final arguments expected on Monday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer accused of murdering George Floyd, and a verdict possible this week, the NBA is bracing for impact. ESPN is reporting that, per anonymous sources, the NBA has alerted teams to the possibility of multiple nights of game cancellations, among other potential reactions to a verdict. This wouldn’t be without precedent; just last week the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves postponed a game in response to the police shooting of unarmed Black man Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. In August 2020, the NBA and WNBA postponed a full slate of playoff games in response to the shooting of another Black man, Jacob Blake, by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer.