NBA players decide to resume playoffs after a few days of protesting Jacob Blake shooting with boycott

The NBA will most likely resume its postseason this weekend after taking a couple of days off to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, ESPN reported.

"NBA playoff games for today will not be played as scheduled," an NBA statement read. "We are hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday. There is a video conference call meeting scheduled later this afternoon between a group of NBA players and team governors representing the 13 teams in Orlando, along with representatives from the National Basketball Players Association and the league office and NBA Labor Relations Committee Chairman Michael Jordan, to discuss next steps."

The protest began Wednesday when the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to take the court for Game 5 of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The Magic were warming up on the court for the game, while the Bucks were on a Zoom call with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, discussing what they could do about the unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Magic also agreed not to play, leading to the other four teams scheduled for Wednesday night action to join the protest.

For a brief period of time Wednesday night, the NBA season seemed to be in jeopardy. Most teams wanted to resume, but two of the league's highest profile teams — the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers — voted to end the season altogether.

The strike began somewhat spontaneously with the Bucks, because the Blake shooting occurred in their home state. Because it wasn't an organized protest, there was no clear goal or change being sought. Some players were reportedly upset that the Bucks decided to disrupt the season without consulting anyone else.

The spontaneous protest led to cancellation of Thursday's games as well, but a question remained: What purpose would not playing games serve?

"The question we asked our players: What do you hope to accomplish by not playing the games?" a team executive told ESPN. "The answers were very different. I think that's something everyone is still formulating for themselves. What's the endgame here, and does not playing accomplish it?"

After hours of deliberation, the players have decided to return to playing the games, likely due to a combination of financial considerations for both owners and players, and a lack of agreement on how a boycott could serve to make a positive social change.

Violent and destructive riots have broken out each night in Kenosha, Wisconsin, since Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back Sunday by a police officer after resisting arrest during a domestic disturbance call.