Following walkouts from players in support of racial justice, NBA playoff games will resume on Saturday, according to a Friday statement from the NBPA and NBA. “We had a candid, impassioned and productive conversation yesterday between NBA players, coaches and team governors regarding next steps to further our collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality,” Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in the statement.
With input from reps for all 13 teams in Orlando, players agreed to resume playing after securing several commitments including the creation of a social justice coalition, the conversion of arenas owned by the league into safe in-person voting venues, and the airing of ads promoting civic engagement and other voter access causes during every playoff game. Roberts and Silver said that the consideration of a platform to advocate for equality had been in the works for months.
