The big news coming out of the NBA this week is that players are slightly more hesitant to play in the bubble scenario that’s originally thought. While the league was dead set on getting games going again in order to finish out the playoffs, apparently very few players were actually consulted on the new plan. Let’s dive into some of the news from around the league this week.
Top News This Week
- The NBA released expected start dates for the league to return to action, with seeding games beginning on July 30th. The play-in tournament would begin on August 15th, while the NBA Finals would run from September 30 to October 13th at the latest.
- Portland’s Carmelo Anthony is not sure what his future looks like, both playing this year and the following year. The 36-year-old Anthony is playing in his 18th season in the NBA and is not sure whether or not he will return for next season or to decide to retire. He cited that there were too many unknown details right now to make a decision on that.
- Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, Portland’s Carmelo Anthony, and Los Angeles’ Dwight Howard were among the players to speak out on possibly sitting the season out due to health concerns as well as social injustice issues. The NBPA released the names that came out in support of Kyrie Irving’s concerns.
- On a call with more than 80 other players, Kyrie Irving spoke with players on the social and racial injustices in the country and how a return of the NBA might take away from that. Said one player “Once we start playing basketball again, the news will turn from systemic racism to ‘who did what’ in the game last night. It’s a crucial time for us to be able to play and blend that to impact what’s happening in our communities”.
- The NBA is sure to face some legal trouble, as the league will require team personnel to submit personal medical histories to a panel of physicians who would review theur individual risk of serious illness due to any spread of COVID-19 in the league’s Orlando bubble.
Social News
On the subject of not returning to basketball, the Lakers’ Dwight Howard might have said it best. Howard does not want basketball to pull any attention away from the important movements going on in the world right now.
Dwight Howard says basketball "isn't needed at this moment." pic.twitter.com/Mh4GnH4j04
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 14, 2020
Although he is no longer with us, Kobe Bryant is still racking up rewards for his trophy case. The late Bryant is set to receive the Governor’s Award.
Another award for Kobe's trophy case 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GI8ofmv59x
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2020
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s son was arrested for allegedly stabbing a neighbor in San Clemente. The victim was apparently stabbed seven times in the altercation.
#BREAKING Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son arrested for allegedly stabbing neighbor in San Clemente, authorities sayhttps://t.co/kqT7olYnxA
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 12, 2020
Golden State Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr has been very outspoken in his support for the Black Lives Matter Movement. The coach is also advocating for a drastic change in how African-American history is taught in schools.
Steve Kerr is advocating to change how African-American history is taught in schools. pic.twitter.com/PTGYd1dnYU
— ESPN (@espn) June 10, 2020
And finally, Dave Chappelle released a short special on YouTube this week, part of which he spends talking about the death of Kobe Bryant.
Dave Chappelle spoke about the day Kobe died 🙏 pic.twitter.com/a1hjH4VOqm
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 12, 2020
All of that news and more, this week in the NBA! Check back weekly with GMS Sports for the most up-to-date information on your favorite sports.
