Woj: Some Players getting cold feet about playing in Orlando

[MrSparkle]

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Well in the end bargaining goes both ways.

The players might take a harder stance but generally don't because it means risking their careers for the betterment of future players careers.

But both sides will be hurting, the owners might blink first. Especially seeing their investments (which is all a team is to them) already lose a half of a year of value without advertisers.

I don't see Lebron getting behind Kyrie, and he's got the biggest voice in the NBA at the end of the day. Of course he can't override a majority, but if it's a matter of drumming up support, he's been known to collude and bring the stars to his side (*snare-snare crash*).

I also don't see lower salary players endorsing the idea. Especially guys whose contracts come up. With professional sports being in a type of limbo for the next year, it would be smart for guys with little long-term security to try and earn and lock up whatever they can. The salaries might shrink enormously in the next 2 years, and some guys are expiring into their primes. Some players have a 4-6 year window to get that big life-time deal. Just saying - I think more players and agents want to play rather than sit out indefinitely.

[azcatz11]

My father was a doctor who contracted coronavirus while treating patients with the disease, and died from its complications. I also live in the DMV area, which was hit hard by COVID and has seen its fair share of civil unrest related to George Floyd's murder. As a black man, I know all too well how today's trying times have impacted our community.

With that said, Kyrie's pain points don't make sense...



There's so much to unpack in that quote, and none of the talking points in that quote are related. It just doesn't make sense to me. I shouldn't need a third eye to make sense of what Kyrie is trying to accomplish here.

Sorry to hear that man. I'm seriously happy to buy you and your family dinner or whatever if you guys need anything

Bro, it's been a rough damn year. Forget the food, let's grab a beer.

I know it's probably a long shot but if you're in Phoenix soon PM me...

[DarkXaero]

He sounds upset. He's an emotional guy. He lost people close to him recently and is in a hard hit area of covid too in NY. The black community has been hit hard with the virus and with unemployment and many just do not care.

I don't know if he can organize anything substantial here, but he is famous enough that I hope he can and isn't just called crazy.

My father was a doctor who contracted coronavirus while treating patients with the disease, and died from its complications. I also live in the DMV area, which was hit hard by COVID and has seen its fair share of civil unrest related to George Floyd's murder. As a black man, I know all too well how today's trying times have impacted our community.

With that said, Kyrie's pain points don't make sense...

"I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bulls--t. Something smells a little fishy."

There's so much to unpack in that quote, and none of the talking points in that quote are related. It just doesn't make sense to me. I shouldn't need a third eye to make sense of what Kyrie is trying to accomplish here.

Sorry to hear that, man.

I agree with you re: that tweet with the Kyrie quote. While I do side with him about the risks of playing in the Orlando bubble, his arguments for it are really head-scratching. He's spouting some conspiracy theory nonsense. I guess his being an inarticulate pseudo-intellectual strikes again

I don't think it's a conspiracy theory that our president has pushed for pro sports to be back (regularly holding meetings with league commissioners), and he's invested in sports being back because of economy reasons, but also that it serves as a distraction in tough times. At least that's what my guess is (what Kyrie is alluding to).

[GiannisAnte34]

those that think restarting and using their platform for change is more powerful than sitting is fooling themselves. yeah, maybe back in the 80s that sh*t wouldve worked. not today. a generation borne of materialistic consumption. the biggest reason why this protest has been so meaningful this year was because of the coronavirus ppl are out of work, out of sports, out of things to do. dont kid youself thinking that THIS killing was the one that was the straw that broke the camel's back. its a combination of everything, but mostly because theres never been a more appropirate time than now to address this as ppl, for a lack of a better phrase, have more time to focus on other priorities. yeah, for most people social equality is important, but not over their careers, their jobs, their familial responsibilities. once u restart the season u lose that edge. and the conversation isnt about what can we do but what Lebron and co. did last night against his nemesis Kawhi. Starting up and kneeling does absolutely nothing at this point. Nothing they do while playing will be more effective than off the court. we're in an age where their platforms are outside of actual games. its beautiful to seem them actually use it.

K so what is Kyrie doing to help?

[Ill News]

My father was a doctor who contracted coronavirus while treating patients with the disease, and died from its complications. I also live in the DMV area, which was hit hard by COVID and has seen its fair share of civil unrest related to George Floyd's murder. As a black man, I know all too well how today's trying times have impacted our community.

With that said, Kyrie's pain points don't make sense...



There's so much to unpack in that quote, and none of the talking points in that quote are related. It just doesn't make sense to me. I shouldn't need a third eye to make sense of what Kyrie is trying to accomplish here.

Sorry to hear that, man.

I agree with you re: that tweet with the Kyrie quote. While I do side with him about the risks of playing in the Orlando bubble, his arguments for it are really head-scratching. He's spouting some conspiracy theory nonsense. I guess his being an inarticulate pseudo-intellectual strikes again

I don't think it's a conspiracy theory that our president has pushed for pro sports to be back (regularly holding meetings with league commissioners), and he's invested in sports being back because of economy reasons, but also that it serves as a distraction in tough times. At least that's what my guess is (what Kyrie is alluding to).

After thinking about this, I can kind of see what Kyrie's thinking, which ties in with your guess. I'm not black so I don't want to definitively talk about what they're feeling at this time, but I can imagine that refusing to play is a form of protest against all those people who want to see the NBA return so they can be distracted from all the social unrest happening. Dunno if that makes sense since I can't articulate it properly myself, but I do support Kyrie and every other player who wants to stand up for social reform (as long as they're prepared to face the financial consequences their stand might bring).

[K For Three]

My father was a doctor who contracted coronavirus while treating patients with the disease, and died from its complications. I also live in the DMV area, which was hit hard by COVID and has seen its fair share of civil unrest related to George Floyd's murder. As a black man, I know all too well how today's trying times have impacted our community.

With that said, Kyrie's pain points don't make sense...



There's so much to unpack in that quote, and none of the talking points in that quote are related. It just doesn't make sense to me. I shouldn't need a third eye to make sense of what Kyrie is trying to accomplish here.

Sorry to hear that, man.

I agree with you re: that tweet with the Kyrie quote. While I do side with him about the risks of playing in the Orlando bubble, his arguments for it are really head-scratching. He's spouting some conspiracy theory nonsense. I guess his being an inarticulate pseudo-intellectual strikes again

I don't think it's a conspiracy theory that our president has pushed for pro sports to be back (regularly holding meetings with league commissioners), and he's invested in sports being back because of economy reasons, but also that it serves as a distraction in tough times. At least that's what my guess is (what Kyrie is alluding to).

There are many reasons I think Kyrie would be spooked by this bubble in Orlando thing, but I doubt he is the only one. Various players who have objections will have their own personal reasons why. It was brought up on the Celtics forum that possibly a guy like Gordon Hayward who has a pregnant wife due in the fall with little kids at home might not be keen on this for example.

For Kyrie some of this sounds politically motivated (which if true I applaud) but also there is the overall safety concern of the players.

Many in this thread have just been going off at times about sex/partying, but I doubt that is the only reason.

We live in a strange reality right now where hundreds of people die a day of a virus with thousands of new cases constantly. And the President and our government in general has always been like "who cares" since day 1....just make money for us and shut up.

So you ask a lot of guys to go into this bubble and shut up and dribble. Maybe it works out if it happens but I really do doubt it goes 100% smoothly either since nothing rarely does in 2020.

If they do do this, I hope they try to make statements about things going on in society and not just shut up and dribble. Just complaining about missing sports is exactly what one of the problems in society is; privilege. And believe me I love my sports but there comes a time we all can make do without things.

[dockingsched]

Am I missing something about this story about Kyrie leading the charge here? What has Kyrie ever done other than make foolish attention seeking comments about the Earth being flat. What is he doing now while others are actually making their voices heard and organizing?

[Clyde Frazier]

Even after seeing the typical weird quotes from Kyrie, he's still presenting rational reasons for *possibly* being against players returning. Just because it's Kyrie lobbying for it doesn't mean the reasons aren't rational. Think that's what's being lost here.

[Zeno]

It is the PA's job to consult all the players. Here, it looks like the PA got out ahead and didn't do their jobs correctly.

It is asking a lot for the players to shut off from the world for 2ish months and produce a television show without their lives and families. But they also get paid millions of dollars.

Yeah, that is the real thing here. The PA leadership, Superstars, league and Disney failed to consult the rest of the players properly and the other players have a right to be pissed. Disney, PA and league then mobilize Woj to drop bomb on Kyrie cause he such an obvious mark. But he's really just a distraction.

[Jordan45822]

Money talks unless they want another lockout & even worst CBA for the players.

Nothing to see here.

[bondom34]

Even after seeing the typical weird quotes from Kyrie, he's still presenting rational reasons for *possibly* being against players returning. Just because it's Kyrie lobbying for it doesn't mean the reasons aren't rational. Think that's what's being lost here.

Yep, the only odd thing I saw was the line about something "smells fishy" but even that was within a reasonable quote:

“I don’t support going into Orlando,” Irving told the players. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bull. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”

If you cut that one sentence out the rest of it doesn't sound bad at all, its just he interjected a random sentence there that made it sound so Kyrie.

Also from Haynes's article:

"If it's worth the risk, then let's go and do it," Irving said on the call, sources said. "But if you're not with it, it's OK, too. We've got options for both ways. Let's just come to a middle ground as a family."

[DarkXaero]

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-players-express-their-doubts-in-conference-call-with-kyrie-irving-025109611.html

A far more reasonable article on the call than the Woj hit piece.

However, later in the call, Irving said he would stand with the group and travel to Disney World in Orlando if the players agreed that was the right call, sources said.

"If it's worth the risk, then let's go and do it," Irving said on the call, sources said. "But if you're not with it, it's OK, too. We've got options for both ways. Let's just come to a middle ground as a family."

Irving, along Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Donovan Mitchell, expressed their desire not to play at this juncture, sources said. Portland Trail Blazers star C.J. McCollum shared that he voted “no” on resuming the season in a group chat, but he stressed the importance of finishing the season out of fear the next CBA negotiations wouldn't be so kind to the players, sources said.

Before the call, sources said, players were disappointed that they all were not given a vote on whether to return to play.

The players were enthusiastic about the number of participants on the call and vowed to gather together — even in Orlando — to continue the dialogue on ways to end racial injustice, sources said.

It was a much-needed galvanizing call, sources said.

[Clyde Frazier]

Even after seeing the typical weird quotes from Kyrie, he's still presenting rational reasons for *possibly* being against players returning. Just because it's Kyrie lobbying for it doesn't mean the reasons aren't rational. Think that's what's being lost here.

Yep, the only odd thing I saw was the line about something "smells fishy" but even that was within a reasonable quote:

“I don’t support going into Orlando,” Irving told the players. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bull. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”

If you cut that one sentence out the rest of it doesn't sound bad at all, its just he interjected a random sentence there that made it sound so Kyrie.

Also from Haynes's article:

"If it's worth the risk, then let's go and do it," Irving said on the call, sources said. "But if you're not with it, it's OK, too. We've got options for both ways. Let's just come to a middle ground as a family."

Yup, it's the last quote that should really be noted by everyone. Do you expect that from Kyrie? Nope, but that shouldn't matter in this case.

[bondom34]

Even after seeing the typical weird quotes from Kyrie, he's still presenting rational reasons for *possibly* being against players returning. Just because it's Kyrie lobbying for it doesn't mean the reasons aren't rational. Think that's what's being lost here.

Yep, the only odd thing I saw was the line about something "smells fishy" but even that was within a reasonable quote:

“I don’t support going into Orlando,” Irving told the players. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bull. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”

If you cut that one sentence out the rest of it doesn't sound bad at all, its just he interjected a random sentence there that made it sound so Kyrie.

Also from Haynes's article:

"If it's worth the risk, then let's go and do it," Irving said on the call, sources said. "But if you're not with it, it's OK, too. We've got options for both ways. Let's just come to a middle ground as a family."

Yup, it's the last quote that should really be noted by everyone. Do you expect that from Kyrie? Nope, but that shouldn't matter in this case.

I'm siding with Kyrie and it hurts .

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-players-express-their-doubts-in-conference-call-with-kyrie-irving-025109611.html

A far more reasonable article on the call than the Woj hit piece.

However, later in the call, Irving said he would stand with the group and travel to Disney World in Orlando if the players agreed that was the right call, sources said.

"If it's worth the risk, then let's go and do it," Irving said on the call, sources said. "But if you're not with it, it's OK, too. We've got options for both ways. Let's just come to a middle ground as a family."

Irving, along Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Donovan Mitchell, expressed their desire not to play at this juncture, sources said. Portland Trail Blazers star C.J. McCollum shared that he voted “no” on resuming the season in a group chat, but he stressed the importance of finishing the season out of fear the next CBA negotiations wouldn't be so kind to the players, sources said.

Before the call, sources said, players were disappointed that they all were not given a vote on whether to return to play.

The players were enthusiastic about the number of participants on the call and vowed to gather together — even in Orlando — to continue the dialogue on ways to end racial injustice, sources said.

It was a much-needed galvanizing call, sources said.

Also the difference in tone here is glaring. Haynes wrote this and it was pretty reasonable. Woj tweeted something about Kyrie being destructive and I couldn't help but laugh. He's doing his job, and supporting a cause he believes in it seems. Nothing but respect for that.

[basketballRob]

The other thing with "having a stage" to talk about issues is that the stage is diminished right now.

It's one thing to talk about issues in an interview in a packed arena or a locker room filled with reporters. But because of Covid, you're going to get guys in a setting that looks like a local community college (5,000-seat place) with no fans and probably not many reporters. So the "stage" might actually cheapen the message rather than augment it.

I guess it's better than just doing another "Zoom video in the age of Covid" thing, but the optics aren't there. Maybe in a locker room shot, but definitely not in an empty arena that looks like you're playing at a practice facility or the YMCA.

Guys could produce their own videos that would look better than that.

I'll enjoy every minute of it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

[DarkXaero]

Am I missing something about this story about Kyrie leading the charge here? What has Kyrie ever done other than make foolish attention seeking comments about the Earth being flat. What is he doing now while others are actually making their voices heard and organizing?

I dislike uninformed, short sighted stuff like this which is based on preconceived narratives. Kyrie has routinely done charity work since the season shut down because of pandemic.

https://www.netsdaily.com/2020/5/8/21252768/kyrie-irving-donates-food-masks-to-his-late-mothers-north-dakota-reservation

https://www.netsdaily.com/2020/3/27/21197787/kyrie-irving-answers-the-call-again-with-food-donations-help-for-restaurants

He has been participating in protests, been vocal on social media about social reform, racism, and recent events.

https://www.netsdaily.com/2020/6/3/21279093/kyrie-irving-protests-in-person-online-as-crisis-continues





And he has been appointed as one of NBA PA VP, and he's doing his part to ensure that all players get a chance to speak or have options.

A Zoom conference call led by Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving on Friday night that included 80-plus NBA players — and WNBA players — established a unifying front in which opinions on the pros and cons of returning to play were discussed, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The call, which lasted an hour and forty minutes, focused on the role players could play in combating systemic racism, investing in black communities and sticking together through this process, sources said.

However, later in the call, Irving said he would stand with the group and travel to Disney World in Orlando if the players agreed that was the right call, sources said.

"If it's worth the risk, then let's go and do it," Irving said on the call, sources said. "But if you're not with it, it's OK, too. We've got options for both ways. Let's just come to a middle ground as a family."

Some of you need to get out of the media bubble, and stop falling for the false narratives.

[Black Jack]

Read the news worldwide, the virus is getting worse. Florida is not handling it well even for the US. It just sounds like a bad idea.

Honestly the NBA doesn't want to give up that 700M or whatever it is in TV money...I think a simple solution is guys that don't want to play should take a hit financially, guys that want to go get paid full dollar on their contract.

Attacking Kyrie and doing the usual RealGM 5 minutes of hate is a distraction, this is a serious issue.

[Fencer reregistered]

Is it me or does it feel like it will be inevitable that important players will test positive mid series?

It seems very likely. Any plan has to take that into account.

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

KOMO News (Seattle) https://komonews.com/news/local/uw-model-predicts-second-wave-of-covid-19-in-us-starting-sept-15

Researchers from the UW's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predict that deaths nationwide will remain fairly level through August, then begin to climb upward in late August, with a more pronounced increase in September though "some states will see the increase earlier due to increased mobility and relaxation of social distancing mandates," researchers said. Those states include Florida, Arizona, Georgia, and Colorado.

"If the U.S. is unable to check the growth in September, we could be facing worsening trends in October, November, and the following months if the pandemic, as we expect, follows pneumonia seasonality,” Dr. Murray said.

[Fencer reregistered]

but when’s the last time any of these guys went more than a week without getting laid?

When A. C. Green retired?