OKC Thunder: Players and BoG to meet independently at 11 regarding next steps

Separate meetings by the Board of Governors and players from the OKC Thunder and other 12 teams will meet Thursday at 11 a.m.

As the president of the National Basketball Players Association and captain of the OKC Thunder, Chris Paul‘s work is never done. On Wednesday night he along with several members of the NBPA player’s board and copious players from the 13 teams still in the bubble met to discuss the next steps. 

This followed the boycott of all three games on Wednesday including the match between the OKC Thunder and Houston Rockets who are knotted up in an even 2-2 first-round series.

Several items were on the table for discussion including what to do about the three games scheduled for Thursday and longer-term what the collective group thinks they should do moving forward. Other themes were the financial impact of boycotting the season and the potential fallout of that action (CBA agreement and potential lockout next season by ownership).

A key talking point is what the players can do to affect change other than using their platforms, what more ownership can do to move along the efforts for social and racial injustice as well as legislative reform. As always education, Black businesses, and the vote are key items the players are trying to improve.

Feedback from the Wednesday night meeting was Chris Paul was hoping for all teams to present a united front. However, two tweets stated the LA teams either voted no outright and left the conference room or were leaning in that direction.

Separate players and Board of Governors meetings set for 11 a.m.

The thinking is the players will lean toward the majority vote so the fact only the LA teams weren’t leaning that direction seems to indicate the playoffs will eventually resume. It’s notable that only one first-round Eastern Conference series has yet to be decided while all four of the Western Conference first-round series have yet to be determined. Of those five series three the Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, and Jazz have a 3-2 lead while the OKC Thunder and Rockets are knotted at two games apiece.

At worst 11 additional games may need to be played to determine the second-round opponents. Since the teams are playing every other day the four series would essentially take three to four days to resolve while the Thunder and Rockets could take six days.

Although things nothing is set in stone, it’s likely the Bucks, Lakers, and Clippers would clinch in their next match leaving only the Jazz-Nuggets and Thunder-Rockets as the series potentially going the distance.

That’s a long-winded way to say in no more than a week the bubble would be reduced to eight teams. In fact, the Raptors and Celtics families/friends are already in Orlando under quarantine. No doubt the presence of loved ones will have a positive effect on the players who’ve been isolated since early July.

Moving forward the meeting today will need to determine if the playoffs resume and once that’s determined other items like how the players can do more to affect change and what they can request from ownership to do in the same regard.

A recent hot button is ‘accountability’ particularly with regard to police and their actions. The players have never veered away from their demand for the arrest of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, and now the officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back. As such police brutality has leaped to the top of their list of issues.

Although it doesn’t reduce the desire to continue pushing messages on social and racial equality, school reform, increased Black businesses plus voting registration, and initiatives to ensure people get out to vote for all levels of government.

Presumably, the Board of Governors meeting will discuss what their next steps would be if the players vote against resuming, and perhaps they’ll take some proactive steps on what actionable items they can take.

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The NBA Foundation was recently created by the BoG with $300 million invested. The BoG will work in concert with the NBPA to direct $30 million per year to specific charities and businesses to help affect reform and positive change.

Those wondering what else the owners can offer there are a few immediate items. Committing to the use of their arenas for voting is one, which some franchises have already done.

A big gesture would be to use their power by pushing legislation at the government level. Players may be popular but they won’t have the same pull as billionaires would to schedule meetings in front of the right government officials.

The majority of the owners have these relationships on Capitol Hill, with local government officials and in the State Legislature. That may be what the players request since these owners wield the power to effect change or at worst get an audience to discuss the change required.

Hopefully, the players decide their platforms can create more positive effects by continuing. That may sound selfish from a hoops head, however, how many players not in the bubble have you witnessed in the news or speaking to a National audience?

Certainly, there are players working in their communities but frankly, we aren’t hearing about their efforts unless it’s occurring locally.

Again, both the players and BoG will meet at 11 a.m. EST so there should be another update early this afternoon. Hopefully, it’s one that makes can drive actionable results and also keep the games moving ahead.