There was a lot of belief that the 2020 NBA season would not be completed after being postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, but ultimately the league was able to figure out a way to get it done in a bubble on the Walt Disney World campus.
However, the restart nearly fell apart as the players chose to boycott playoff games following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to sit out and other teams followed suit, including LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The players then held a meeting as they looked to figure out the best course of action following the boycott and there were reports that James eventually walked out. It was believed he and the Lakers were prepared to walk away and head home.
James has long been one of most outspoken athletes ever seen when it comes to social issues and racial inequality, so his word carries a lot of weight. James recently spoke about his decision to walk out of that meeting and why he felt it was the best thing to do at that time, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“When I walked out, we sat there and talked for two, three, four hours and there was still no plan. So I walked out. Because my time is very valuable. And I knew what could help the change,” James said. “But when you’re dealing with a group with a lot of emotional [people], a lot of ego, a lot of guys that are passionate about themselves and what they believe in, then it’s hard to figure out a plan at that very moment. So it was best for me to step out.”
When there are a lot of emotional, passionate people in a room talking it can often devolve into just arguments and yelling as opposed to conversation that leads to a solution. James has always been someone who is about action and it sounds as if he didn’t feel what was happening in that meeting was conducive to the action and change needed in that situation.
As is now known, James would ultimately reach out to President Barack Obama who would play a pivotal role in bringing the players together and figuring out a plan.
LeBron believes Lakers can repeat if healthy
In terms of on the court, James is looking forward to what the 2021 season will bring after the Lakers made a number of upgrades to the roster this offseason. James believes the team got younger and better and has his eyes on a repeat as long as they can stay healthy.
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