"We're going to Disney World!" NBA to resume season July 31 at WDW

djbayko

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Are they saying that they don't want to play because they'd rather spend their time fighting for the BLM movement? That's noble, I guess.

If they just don't want to live in a bubble, boo fucking hoo. Do they realize what the rest of America has been dealing with? Sucks that they'll be getting room service and getting paid millions to play a children's game for a few months.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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Yeah, what is Kyries stance here. Is he against the idea of the bubble, or does he not think the league is doing enough socially or financially to help the cause of BLM? These tweets make it hard to understand what his issue is.
 

scott bankheadcase

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Is there a bigger platform than the national broadcasts of these games?

Adam silver will let the players make any statement they want. If anything, not playing and not using that enormous platform is shirking their responsibility to make that statement.
 

ElUno20

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Huh? I think his stance is pretty clear. He doesn't want the league to restart and people just get back to normal and forget about the last 3 weeks (which is what always happens in this country).
 

ElUno20

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Is there a bigger platform than the national broadcasts of these games?

Adam silver will let the players make any statement they want. If anything, not playing and not using that enormous platform is shirking their responsibility to make that statement.
It wont ever happen though so all this is a moot point. But i disagree. The clippers years ago failed in playing that game in Oakland during the sterling shit.

I know it's kyrie so everything is with a grain of salt. But this is along the lines of blow it all up/enough of this shit that a lot of people have been protesting for (defunding the police, etc). I do think his stance is legitimate, he's just not being "kyrie".
 

scott bankheadcase

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It wont ever happen though so all this is a moot point. But i disagree. The clippers years ago failed in playing that game in Oakland during the sterling shit.
How did they fail? Silver kicked him out of the league while simultaneously making both the league and the players more money. It was an enormous success with no repercussions to the league or the team.
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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It doesn't matter what the issue is. If CP3, Melo and Kyrie are on one side, I'm inclined to support the other just because. And CP3 and Melo are on the edge of retirement, they shouldn't be speaking for the future of the league.

If the 3 most "vocal" players were, say, Jaylen, Steph, and Giannis, I'd feel much much different.
 

Kliq

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Kyrie has moved on from trying to destroy one team, to all teams

Lol only 20 guys getting "actually paid." What universe does this guy live in? I'm happy NBA players make a lot of money, the free market has determined they are worth millions and millions, but does Kyrie think anyone not on a max deal isn't getting really paid? Latrell Spreewell blushes at those comments.

In a world where John Wall has been paid $58 million over the last two years to rehab an ankle injury, where Ian Mahimni has made $64 million over the last four years to average 5 ppg and 4 rpg, where Nic Batum made $25 million to average 3 ppg this year, it's hard to say only 20 guys are actually getting paid.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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While the scorn Kyrie gets is well deserved given what we know about him, I am going to wait before casting any aspersions.

First, all we are getting are a bunch of Tweets without any context.

Furthermore, regardless of Kyrie's agenda, there are plenty of other thoughtful people involved, some of whom have similar concerns about how this ties into current events.

And still others who are worried about getting the virus or simply being away from home for three months straight in a pretty restrictive environment.

As much as I want sports and the NBA in particular back, I like that the players have a significant say in how their employers approach these real issues.
 

BigMike

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Lol only 20 guys getting "actually paid." What universe does this guy live in? I'm happy NBA players make a lot of money, the free market has determined they are worth millions and millions, but does Kyrie think anyone not on a max deal isn't getting really paid? Latrell Spreewell blushes at those comments.

In a world where John Wall has been paid $58 million over the last two years to rehab an ankle injury, where Ian Mahimni has made $64 million over the last four years to average 5 ppg and 4 rpg, where Nic Batum made $25 million to average 3 ppg this year, it's hard to say only 20 guys are actually getting paid.
Yeah, this is so incredibly stupid.

The NBA minimum salary for 2019 is 898 thousand for players with 0 experience, and 1.44 million for players with 1 year experience, and continues to go up from there. So a undrafted NBA rookie who makes a roster makes 14 times the Average American Salary, and almost 20 times the median black American Salary. And if you spend 2 years in the league you are looking at earning what the average American will earn in 36 years. So everyone in the league is getting paid.

That said let's look in Kryie warped world

124 NBA players will make over 10 million this year. 199 will make more than 5 million
166 million players currently have deals that guarantee them more than 10 million, 280 have deals that guarantee them over 5 million, 339 with deals that put them over 3 million (which means they are guaranteed to earn more than the average American will earn in their lifetime)
And of course none of this factors previous earnings

27 players have current contracts with larger guaranteed money than Michael Jordan's career earnings (obviously from BB only)
 

amarshal2

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The players have every right to decide all of this. We all choose or don’t choose to work a particular job in this country. Most of them don’t need to play right now given their financial situation and the potential risks to their career. Even taking safety out of it, if the plan makes any individuals feel like Roman gladiators being subjected to unusual circumstances for our entertainment, they shouldn’t play for their own dignity.

But letting Kyrie Irving drive their discussion and decision making with his typical string of disconnected big words nonsense is not wise. Think for yourselves.

edit: to put this differently

I often feel funny about the nfl. I wouldn’t let my kids play youth football if they wanted to. Never mind the nfl where everything is 10x; it starts as a fundamentally unsafe sport. So when I see young men who often came from little means out there risking their long term wellbeing for a big paycheck and a chance at glory for our entertainment — it feels a bit too much like Ancient Rome. (Note that I’ve never actually done anything about it. Maybe this year.)

I never feel that way about the nba or mlb. They get paid millions to play a safe, kids game. The current circumstances are of course unusual but the bubble isn’t designed to recreate The Colosseum. It’s designed to allow them to return to work safely. The measures are more extreme than those my wife or dad take when they go into the hospital for work, but for substantially more money and less personal risk for the players. And certainly less risk than meat packers or many other professions. If they don’t figure out a way to work in this environment their jobs might not be there for a long time. I’d play. I’d probably let my kids play. It’s not like I think it’s a “wrong” decision for any player to decide it’s not right for him. Quite the opposite. I just don’t think Kyrie is a very clear thinker and I wouldn’t want him heavily involved in any group decision making.
 
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lovegtm

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This is awesome. I’m excited to see the further fruits of Kyrie’s lockdown boredom.
 

scottyno

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Kyrie's argument doesn't even make any sense, yes of course it's a tiered system and some players make more than others, that's kind of how it's supposed to work. I wonder if he'd prefer to give most of his max money back so he gets paid the same as a team's backup center.

All I know is getting this clown out of town is a top 20 move in franchise history
I still wanted him back all the way until he quit in the bucks series, and even after that could have been talked into keep him. Whoops
 

lovegtm

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Kyrie's argument doesn't even make any sense, yes of course it's a tiered system and some players make more than others, that's kind of how it's supposed to work. I wonder if he'd prefer to give most of his max money back so he gets paid the same as a team's backup center.
The stupidity of his position re salaries is a pretty big tell that he doesn’t actually give a shit about the causes he claims to and is just casting about wildly for ways to be the center of attention.

It’s embarrassing that people still fall for his schtick: he’s a clearly troubled dude who shouldn’t be enabled.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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The problem is that so long as there is a critical mass of players who are against it, it's going to be a problem because those players can be critical for any number of reasons.

A few players being upset because they didn't get to vote + a few players being upset because it's bad optics (whatever that means) + players thinking there are too many restrictions + players who think it's not safe enough + players who are thinking long-term about the CBA (etc.) - as individual groups wouldn't be sufficient but collectively make an impact, even though they have different (and sometimes conflicting) reasons for being opposed. https://nypost.com/2020/06/12/nba-players-reportedly-worried-about-optics-safety-of-bubble-restart/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site buttons&utm_campaign=site buttons

Apparently, the second person to speak after Kyrie was Avery Bradley, who said something about playing chess, not checkers , whatever that means.
 

DJnVa

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Huh? I think his stance is pretty clear. He doesn't want the league to restart and people just get back to normal and forget about the last 3 weeks (which is what always happens in this country).
But they will have the ability EVERY SINGLE NIGHT to speak out on things.

And there is a difference between moving on and helping to heal. It's incumbent upon the guys playing to take advantage of their platform. Maybe make the press wait 8:46 every night. Or do moment of silence for that length before every game. Or a 100 other things that they can do as what will likely be the only major sports league going at the time, to keep this in view.
 

benhogan

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I'd say Kyrie is clearly 100% against restarting the NBA season. I'd guess it is a coin toss we see NBA hoops this Summer.

Kyrie Instagram message last week:

I am calling on all my People of Color, Leaders of Change, and all those that are aware of what is happening, what has happened, and are ready for solutions. They Can’t stop us when we are together and truly understand our Power as a collective. Our Native Indigenous Black Spirits, Our Native Indigenous Black Minds, Our Native Indigenous Black Bodies deserve to be treated with more Respect, Understanding, and Love. Know that Our bloodlines come from Royalty! We are the True Royalty, We are the Original King and Queens of this Spiritual and Physical world! They hide all of our History for a reason. We were captured and enslaved against our will for the benefit of their Oppressive and Racist system that has been in place and still is in place presently. They took/take damn there everything we have created Culturally, call it their own, and then turn it into something it was never meant to be or Mean. I am sick of this idea of letting things balance out and talk it out bull [expletive], and as a Native Of the Many Indigenous Lands of our world this is part of my Purpose of being here. It is to help change this whole Global agenda that has killed my family members and plagued my community for far to [expletive] long.

Our parents and their parents’ parents have fought every year of their lives to keep the TRUTH about this world alive. The agenda, FREE OUR PEOPLE, because we know all this talking and protesting will get us maybe a few law changes and conversations, but at this point it’s bigger than that. It’s time we take all our Native Indigenous Black culture, business, ideas to a new place as a collective and protect it just like other cultures have done. Build our own!

It’s clear White Supremacy and Corporations use us Native Indigenous Black Folk when it is beneficial for their agenda and pockets, so be aware of the truth in plain sight Family. How are we gonna break these generational curses that have been put on us purposefully to kill us and our families off? Taking our Land and Culture Back! Our Ancestors are watching and protecting us now more than ever!

This is for Our Future Kids kids. We are the generation that will change this!
 

DJnVa

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There's some twitter talk that essentially some players don't want an majority black league to put on a show for it's majority white audience in today's climate.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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There's some twitter talk that essentially some players don't want an majority black league to put on a show for it's majority white audience in today's climate.
That's interesting because according to Wikipedia at least for 2013-14 season, NBA was only major sport that did not have a majority white audience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_NBA#Viewership_demographics

(was not able to find anything more recent after quick research.)

NBA fans are also 2nd youngest (to MLS).
 

lovegtm

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greek_gawd_of_walks

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There's some twitter talk that essentially some players don't want an majority black league to put on a show for it's majority white audience in today's climate.
I mean, as evidenced by the wiki page, this isn't entirely accurate about the league fandom demographics.

However, if the players don't like those optics (black players performing for a white audience), it's going to be tough to reconcile playing for the white "owners". One has to wonder if there's going to be a league mandate that a certain percentage of each franchise needs to be black owned. That probably isn't a bad idea.

Serious question: what is the preferred nomenclature for referring to the people who own the organization? I know that there was talk of having a different, less incendiary term-- especially in leagues that a majority black.
 

The Social Chair

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I'll applaud Kyrie and the rest of the players if they don't play basketball again until specified social justice demands are met in the cities they play in. That could drag on for years and would be an Ali-esque sacrifice.

Not so much if this is just self serving Kyrie antics that cost the NBAPA their CBA.
 

scott bankheadcase

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I mean, as evidenced by the wiki page, this isn't entirely accurate about the league fandom demographics.

However, if the players don't like those optics (black players performing for a white audience), it's going to be tough to reconcile playing for the white "owners". One has to wonder if there's going to be a league mandate that a certain percentage of each franchise needs to be black owned. That probably isn't a bad idea.

Serious question: what is the preferred nomenclature for referring to the people who own the organization? I know that there was talk of having a different, less incendiary term-- especially in leagues that a majority black.
Governors
 

swiftaw

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Serious question: what is the preferred nomenclature for referring to the people who own the organization? I know that there was talk of having a different, less incendiary term-- especially in leagues that a majority black.
I guess in US sport they could use "franchisees" since the teams are considered franchises.
 

lovegtm

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I wonder what guys like Jaylen (who actually does stuff on these issues) think about Kyrie’s latest drama show.
 

radsoxfan

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Perhaps I'm just not "woke", but I fail to see how NBA players are going to do more for social justice and reform by not playing. These are some of the most influential and well-respected minorities in the country, seems like they'd be much better off in their pursuits by being front and center on TV every night. When you combine that with the massive economic hit they would take this year and beyond, playing seems like a win-win. I don't see how Kyrie's position makes any sense.

While there is a chance Kyrie has some bizarre selfish goals in mind, I don't really doubt he thinks he is standing up for the right thing in this case. Unfortunately his brain is broken I hope the players politely listen then tell him to go pontificate on his own.
 

InstaFace

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While the scorn Kyrie gets is well deserved given what we know about him, I am going to wait before casting any aspersions.

First, all we are getting are a bunch of Tweets without any context.

Furthermore, regardless of Kyrie's agenda, there are plenty of other thoughtful people involved, some of whom have similar concerns about how this ties into current events.

And still others who are worried about getting the virus or simply being away from home for three months straight in a pretty restrictive environment.

As much as I want sports and the NBA in particular back, I like that the players have a significant say in how their employers approach these real issues.
Yeah, I'm not worried about a players association, in which the likes of Jaylen Brown quickly rose to be an ascendant voice, deferring to and being cowed by the likes of Kyrie fucking Irving. Lebron James, whose rep is just a teensie bit stronger, has said that everyone he's talked to wants to play.

But how is this still an issue? The NBA negotiated with the Players Union, explored all options, got the NBAPA's buy-in, and then the owners voted to approve the plan. There was consultation. There are allowances for people with medical concerns to opt-out and still get paid. Conscientious objectors can refuse and won't get paid but won't get blackballed, either. So what's up with this new rebellion here? Did the vote just not go Kyrie's way and he's sour about it and won't let it go? Because that would be, you know, consonant with everything we've ever learned about Kyrie Irving.
 

lexrageorge

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I don’t know how cancelling the basketball season will move the needle on racial justice. Seems like a bunch of twitter nonsense with a Kyrie salad thrown in for good measure.
 

jon abbey

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Yeah, I'm not worried about a players association, in which the likes of Jaylen Brown quickly rose to be an ascendant voice, deferring to and being cowed by the likes of Kyrie fucking Irving.
Not agreeing or disagreeing with you, but Kyrie and Jaylen have the exact same NBPA job, they are two of the six vice presidents.

https://nbpa.com/leadership
 

kazuneko

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I'd say Kyrie is clearly 100% against restarting the NBA season. I'd guess it is a coin toss we see NBA hoops this Summer.

Kyrie Instagram message last week:

I am calling on all my People of Color, Leaders of Change, and all those that are aware of what is happening, what has happened, and are ready for solutions. They Can’t stop us when we are together and truly understand our Power as a collective. Our Native Indigenous Black Spirits, Our Native Indigenous Black Minds, Our Native Indigenous Black Bodies deserve to be treated with more Respect, Understanding, and Love. Know that Our bloodlines come from Royalty! We are the True Royalty, We are the Original King and Queens of this Spiritual and Physical world! They hide all of our History for a reason. We were captured and enslaved against our will for the benefit of their Oppressive and Racist system that has been in place and still is in place presently. They took/take damn there everything we have created Culturally, call it their own, and then turn it into something it was never meant to be or Mean. I am sick of this idea of letting things balance out and talk it out bull [expletive], and as a Native Of the Many Indigenous Lands of our world this is part of my Purpose of being here. It is to help change this whole Global agenda that has killed my family members and plagued my community for far to [expletive] long.

Our parents and their parents’ parents have fought every year of their lives to keep the TRUTH about this world alive. The agenda, FREE OUR PEOPLE, because we know all this talking and protesting will get us maybe a few law changes and conversations, but at this point it’s bigger than that. It’s time we take all our Native Indigenous Black culture, business, ideas to a new place as a collective and protect it just like other cultures have done. Build our own!

It’s clear White Supremacy and Corporations use us Native Indigenous Black Folk when it is beneficial for their agenda and pockets, so be aware of the truth in plain sight Family. How are we gonna break these generational curses that have been put on us purposefully to kill us and our families off? Taking our Land and Culture Back! Our Ancestors are watching and protecting us now more than ever!

This is for Our Future Kids kids. We are the generation that will change this!
I just don't understand how anyone could listen to this guy. He's a consistently incoherent moron who's also a blatant narcissist. Of course, that's the exact way I'd describe our current president, so I guess that is what passes for leadership in the misinformation age.
I love that he takes his capitalization cues from the Trump handbook. Makes me wonder if incoherent use of capitalization is a previously unrecognized symptom of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Edit: Just to clarify, if the NBA players association wants to put aside 100s of millions of dollars of salary to make a stand for racial justice I'm all for it. But unless they want that sacrifice to be in vain, they better not choose this fool to be the representative of that movement.
 
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Doug Beerabelli

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Play the season out as agreed, donate 25% of the salaries or playoff bonuses to those causes they are concerned about, ask the NBA to match, and use the platform and extended season the keep these causes in the public’s consciousness. Or whatever % they all agree to. That would be impressive and effective IMO.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Re: the odd seething "blow it up" narrative for social change from Kyrie:

It seems if I'm a player I'd rather make a few million the remainder of this season and have some donation money to the cause, and also get the millions I'd be losing next year if this season does not get completed with the resulting TV revenue.

I also don't know how the shoe sponsorship money works and if some guys may lose money there. Just seems a cutting your nose to spite your face move.
 

lexrageorge

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Blowing up the most socially progressive major sports league hardly seems like the ideal method to make a point.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Are they saying that they don't want to play because they'd rather spend their time fighting for the BLM movement? That's noble, I guess.

If they just don't want to live in a bubble, boo fucking hoo. Do they realize what the rest of America has been dealing with? Sucks that they'll be getting room service and getting paid millions to play a children's game for a few months.
Boo fucking hoo? Really?
Boo fucking hoo to grown adults that are annoyed with other grown adults for wanting to watch* the children’s game they provide you. If they’re willing to turn down $ to play a game - or work a job or do whatever or be whatever or say whatever- then that’s their right. Do you not think they’re going thru the same thing everyone else is? It’s not their job to salvage sanity for society, whether much more important shit is going on or not.
They.
Don’t.
Owe.
Us.
Anything.
They make their money because you, me and everyone else pays it to them. If you think they’re overpaid babies, don’t pay them. Rent a movie, but a book, take up a hobby.
This isn’t directly at you - tho you took some pretty shitty stances in V&N during this all - but I’m so fucking sick and tired of people crying because they aren’t getting their binkies. Grow up.
 

jon abbey

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Can we stop calling sports ‘children’s games’? Children do math too, but no one calls mathematics a children’s profession. Professional athletes are the very best in the world at what they do with generally very short career expectancies and they create a ton of money as entertainers, almost always more than they get paid for doing so.
 

djbayko

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Can we stop calling sports ‘children’s games’? Children do math too, but no one calls mathematics a children’s profession. Professional athletes are the very best in the world at what they do with generally very short career expectancies and they create a ton of money as entertainers, almost always more than they get paid for doing so.
Since I said it... I thought it was clearly a bit of hyperbole. My point was that we play it as children for free...because it's fun. The rest of the country is dealing with a lot worse than millionaires playing basketball in a bubble community. It's not a good look.

However, since my post, our understanding of the players' concern has changed. It's more a pro-BLM concern. Well, maybe a little frustration with the bubble as well, depending on who you ask.
 
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jon abbey

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It’s not just you, people need to stop saying it. Pet peeve, sorry. I don’t think it helps anyone’s argument as I explained above.