NBA Players should embrace the bubble. Here’s why.
The murder of George Floyd triggered a seismic racial quake that so profoundly altered public sensibilities on police brutality and racism. It very much felt like a transformational moment. And while the murder of Floyd was a deplorable and despicable act, there was a belief that something positive could emerge and that Floyd could become martyr. Initially, the NBA players agreed to resume the season. By doing so, they believed they could effect change by engaging in positive messaging. And that made all the sense in the world. And then Jacob Blake. A defenseless Blake was shot seven times in the back while his kids,3,5 and 8, watched. Once again, a case of a police officer leading with his gun when confronted by a black man. The shooting of Blake was, simply put, a heinous and deplorable act. Players felt like they weren’t doing enough and not effecting change. By playing, some players felt that the games were distracting from the movement. Some players talked about going home.
