After the Milwaukee Bucks decided to not play their NBA playoff game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday over the shooting of Jacob Blake, the rest of the league followed suit as the players decided whether to keep playing in the bubble. To that end, The Athletic is reporting that LeBron James, Chris Paul, and a handful of other players spoke to former President Barack Obama, asking him for his advice on the situation.
Sources told The Athletic that Obama advised the players to continue playing and to use their platform in order to further their goals for tangible action as a result of the strike. James and the other players also reportedly told the former President that they wanted to start a committee for player action, and that they wanted Obama to be involved.
The meeting with Obama was just one of a handful of meetings on Wednesday and Thursday that led to the announcement that the playoffs would resume on Saturday, with the players earning certain concessions from the league, including that NBA stadiums would be used as voting centers for the upcoming November elections. James and a handful of players were also present for a meeting with the governors from 13 teams still in the bubble, as well as Charlotte Hornets owner and labor relations committee chairman Michael Jordan.
Though The Athletic report gave no specific quotes about the meeting with Obama, their sources did say that James was impressive on the call and that he made “very valid points” about the players’ movement for action.
Read the full story at The Athletic
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