Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka said Sunday that players around the league almost decided to leave the NBA's campus in Orlando after multiple teams sat out their respective postseason games in protest last week.
"We were close (to leaving)," Ibaka said, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg. "We were very close. But as a group, we figured things out. We stayed here, and we're here for a reason, not only to play basketball but to use our platform to try and change things out there."
The Milwaukee Bucks sparked the sit-outs in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin - approximately 40 miles south of Milwaukee - and chose not to leave their locker room ahead of Game 5 against the Orlando Magic Wednesday. All other teams scheduled to play followed suit, and the NBA eventually postponed all playoff games until Saturday.
The Bucks' decision, however, caught everyone by surprise - including fellow NBA players - and a group of them held a meeting the same night to figure out the next steps. During that reportedly tense gathering, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers voted not to continue the season, but they still scheduled a second meeting for Thursday.
After players spoke with NBA owners, the two sides agreed on terms to resume the postseason, including the formation of a social justice coalition and several other social justice initiatives.
However, Ibaka's teammate Kyle Lowry says players likely would have departed the bubble if they did not secure those commitments.
"I think we (the Raptors and other NBA players) were seriously considering leaving," Lowry said. "I think that would have been in serious consideration (if not for the initiatives that the NBA and NBAPA committed to)."
Lakers star LeBron James echoed Lowry and Ibaka's sentiments, admitting he had "major reservations" about finishing the season following the meeting. The 35-year-old, however, spoke with former President Barack Obama, who reportedly encouraged the athletes to continue playing. James then helped devise a plan to move forward with both players and team owners.
