Report: NBA employees go on strike, plan to call elected officials
Approximately 100 NBA employees based at the league's New York headquarters went on strike Friday in solidarity with the NBA and WNBA players pushing for social justice, sources told ESPN's Malika Andrews.
The employees will reportedly spend the day calling elected officials.
Employees sent a letter to commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum saying, in part: "We believe the NBA, its leadership, and the Board of Governors unequivocally have the leverage to do more to directly address and combat police brutality and systemic racism in this country," according to Andrews.
This is the out of office email from about 100 or so NBA league office employees who opted not to work today.
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) August 28, 2020
"I am virtually walking out of the office in opposition to systemic racism and police brutality in this country in solidarity with our NBA and WNBA players." pic.twitter.com/KeD83e8JQ4
In a leaked email, Silver told employees that he supported NBA and WNBA players shining a light on injustices.
"While I don't walk in the same shoes as Black men and women, I can see the trauma and fear that racialized violence causes and how it continues the painful legacy of racial inequity that persists in our country," the commissioner reportedly wrote.
NBA players reportedly decided to resume the playoffs Thursday after the Milwaukee Bucks' walkout led to the postponement of several other contests. However, no official rescheduling announcement has been made.
Players reportedly demanded that the league and team owners do more in service of social justice initiatives following the most recent police shooting of unarmed Black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.