Members of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are mulling whether to boycott the rest of the NBA season to protest the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, according to multiple reports Wednesday night.
The Lakers and Clippers voted in favor of a boycott during a league-wide meeting for all players inside the NBA’s bubble at Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida, The Athletic reported. Lakers star LeBron James was reportedly the first player to exit the meeting.
The team votes were informal and may not reflect their final decision, ESPN reported. Both the Lakers and the Clippers held series leads in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
Discussions on next steps were expected to continue on Thursday. The league has yet to comment on the situation.
LEBRON, OTHER REACT TO BUCKS BOYCOTT OVER JACOB BLAKE SHOOTING
The status of the NBA players would be unclear if the Lakers and Clippers decide not to play. Both teams play in the Western Conference and are considered top championship contenders.
The league-wide meeting took place hours after the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to take the court for their scheduled game against the Orlando Magic. The NBA postponed all three playoff games that were scheduled to take place on Wednesday night and said they would be rescheduled to a later date.
Several NBA players expressed shock and outrage after police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Blake, a Black man, during an incident earlier this week. The shooting was caught on video and prompted several days of protests.
James has taken a leadership role on the NBA’s handling of social justice issues following nationwide protests against police brutality. Earlier Wednesday, he demanded change and tweeted that he was “sick of it” in response to the Blake shooting.