The Rest Of The NBA Joins The Milwaukee Bucks By Going On Strike

The NBA tried the Bubble. It worked - in terms of keeping COVID-19 at bay. The players have been using their media availability to talk about the strive for racial justice ever since they got to Orlando. Then Jacob Blake was shot in the back in Wisconsin. For all the protesting we saw out of players in wake of George Floyd's murder, they couldn't be out in the streets with the people from Orlando. They could either play and keep wearing t-shirts and making statements or they could stand together and go on strike. The Milwaukee Bucks made the first move and the rest of the NBA stood with them. The Magic rejected the forfeit, the Rockets and Thunder followed suit, and then the Lakers and Blazers closed out any possibility of there being basketball tonight. 

These players are beyond frustrated. People want to bring up China, people want to bring up any straws they can grasp at to try and discredit what these players are standing up for right now. I can't imagine we see basketball for some time. One game strikes are a nice gesture but without any semblance of change or accountability overnight I can't see the impact of taking a night off and getting back after it tomorrow. The Celtics and Raptors had already been discussing a strike, I imagine that announcement will be coming sooner than later. These players are putting their money where their mouth is by going on strike and that alone is extremely admirable. It's hard not to respect given the scrutiny they know they'll face, the potential personal financial losses this could amount to in the future for every single player in the league. The next move remains to be seen, and that step will be just as important as this. Their initial statements were heard by some, but now they've got everyone's attention by going on strike. This is their power, let's see if it's enough.