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Michael Jordan reportedly played a key role as a liaison between NBA players and owners to help save the season

Aug 28, 2020, 03:02 IST
Insider
Michael Jordan.AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
  • Michael Jordan was reportedly a key figure in ensuring NBA players and owners were on the same page after the players' sudden strike on Wednesday.
  • Jordan spoke with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook before meeting with his fellow owners to get a better idea of the players' goals.
  • In the meeting, Jordan reportedly told his fellow owners, "Right now, listening is better than talking."
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Michael Jordan reportedly played a key role in ensuring that NBA players and owners got on the same page after protests of the police shooting of Jacob Blake left the season in jeopardy.

On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to step onto the court to start their game with the Orlando Magic in protest. Minutes later, the other five teams scheduled to play that day joined the cause — suddenly, a strike was on.

That night, players took part in a tense meeting that had some wondering if the rest of the season was in doubt. However, by Thursday morning, players had indicated that they were ready to move forward with the playoffs while still maintaining their focus on social justice issues.

According to a report from ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, Jordan was an important liaison between the players and owners during the busy night. As both the greatest player of his generation and the only Black majority owner in the NBA, Jordan was in a unique position to serve as a go-between for the two sides.

According to MacMullan, Jordan spoke with both National Basketball Players Association president Chris Paul and Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook ahead of the owners' meeting in order to understand the goals the players had in their protests.

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When the owners held their virtual meeting, Jordan served as a "voice of reason," telling his fellow owners, "Right now, listening is better than talking."

Per MacMullan:

"Michael is the perfect person to be in this role," said a league official who has been privy to discussions on what should happen next. "He's been a high-profile player who has won championships. He's also the owner of a small-market team. He has great credibility both with the players and the owners."

By Thursday, the players had indicated that they were ready to move forward with the season.

Jordan's role in bringing the two sides together likely is not done yet. Given the strong statement the players made in their initial decision to refuse to play on Wednesday, there's likely more public efforts towards social justice coming from the league soon, and team owners will undoubtedly be a part of the equation.

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