Former President Barack Obama gave advice to a number of NBA players, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and the Oklahoma Thunder’s Chris Paul amid discussions about a possible playoff boycott following an officer-involved shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that left a 29-year-old black man in critical condition.
CNN reports that Paul reached out to the former president last week following the shooting in Kenosha, to ask whether Obama would consider speaking with a small group of NBA players who were considering drastic action to draw attention to social justice causes.
The call included LeBron James, who is widely believed to have led a player effort to force the NBA to cancel its playoffs — an effort that ended with the NBA postponing, but not canceling, games and pledging to have the playoffs go forward as planned.
The players, including James, ultimately agreed to end the boycott after just one day citing fears that other, less well-paid professional basketball players, might find themselves in dire financial straits if the season came to a swift and unplanned conclusion. – READ MORE
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