The NBA season is scheduled to resume on July 30, but some players are having reservations about returning to action. On Sunday, Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley came out and proclaimed that if LeBron James says he's playing, then everyone is playing.
"Hoopers say what y’all want. If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping. Not Personal only BUSINESS," Beverley tweeted.
Beverley's comment comes after Kyrie Irving recently called for players to boycott the season as not to distract and take away from the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.
“I don’t support going into Orlando,” Irving said. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”
Irving went on to add that he's “willing to give up everything” for social reform.
Some NBA players, including a teammate of LeBron James, Dwight Howard, have publicly backed Irving's suggested boycott. “I agree with Kyrie (Irving). Basketball, or entertainment period, isn’t needed at this moment, and will only be a distraction," Howard said. "Sure it might not distract us the players, but we have resources at hand majority of our community don’t have.
At the age of 35, James is still widely regarded as the face — and the voice — of the NBA. He is often recognized for being outwardly vocal regarding political and racial issues. As Beverly alluded to, players will likely follow LeBron's lead when it comes to the return of the NBA season.
The 2019-2020 NBA season was suspended on March 11 due to the Coronavirus. Since then, the league has approved a 22-team return at Disney’s sports complex in Orlando, Florida. For more on what the remainder of the season could look like, follow here.
