As players move forward in deciding how to handle the remainder of the 2020 NBA playoffs amid Jacob Blake's shooting in Wisconsin, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum says there are far more important issues than what happens on the floor.
"I mean, how many points we score, that s--t don’t matter right now. Being a Black man in America is more important than what I’m doing out there on a basketball court," Tatum told reporters Wednesday.
Players are slated to meet Wednesday evening to discuss their plan for the remainder of the season. There has been some push for players to leave the bubble, but Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported there is a contingent of players who are pushing to remain in Orlando and use their platform for social change.
It's likely the meeting will result in players attempting to reach a near-consensus on how to handle the rest of the playoffs.
Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times (struck four times) by police Sunday when reaching into his car to check on his three children. An attorney representing the Blake family, Benjamin Crump, said it's expected Blake will be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.
NBA players have made social justice messaging a large part of season's resumption, with the league painting "Black Lives Matter" on the court and allowing players to use phrases on the back of their jerseys to highlight important issues.
