Kyrie Irving has been opposed to NBA players participating in the resumed 2019-2020 season in Orlando, feeling like this was the time for major change.
Irving helped organize phone calls with his fellow players on Friday and Monday, according to reports. He said that he was willing to give up everything.
“I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bulls—. Something smells a little fishy,” Irving reportedly said on Friday’s call.
It’s unclear how much support Irving’s movement has, but one player like LeBron James has not supported Irving’s plan, because the Los Angeles Lakers star believes he can make a difference and play in the NBA at the same time.
So what was Irving’s revolutionary plan?
According to the New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy, Irving proposed to players in a group chat with his Brooklyn Nets teammates that they start their own league.
When Irving talked about the systematic problems, it seemed like his issue was an overwhelmingly white group of owners (with the notable exceptions of Michael Jordan [Charlotte Hornets], Vivek Ranadive [Sacramento Kings] and Joseph Tsai [Nets]) making astronomical profits off of Black athletes.
The players have undeniable star power, followings, and are major attractions. Starting a completely new league, however, comes with numerous challenges that would be difficult for anyone to navigate. The XFL and AAF are prime examples of how much risk and difficulty starting a new league entails. That said, a hypothetical Kyrie Irving-led and player-owned basketball league would be able to circumvent a few of those problems through sheer star power alone.
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