Lakers, Clippers Vote to Boycott Remainder of the NBA Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers only need one win to move up to the Western Conference semifinals as many have been predicting since the beginning of the season that the Western Conference Finals would be a "Battle of Los Angeles". With what has transpired today, it looks like we may not even get to the Conference Finals of the ongoing 2020 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs.

Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) has been a crazy day for NBA fans as it saw the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks and then later, the Orlando Magic, deciding not to play in Game Five of their best-of-seven first-round series in protest of against the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. As a rippling effect, the NBA has postponed the rest of the games that were scheduled for August 26 with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver agreeing to the postponement as no team accepted a forfeiture from their respective opponent. While there's no clarity yet on when the postponed games will be rescheduled, it looks like the playoffs will continue without two of the favorites to win it all. 

Every NBA team has voted to continue with the playoffs except for two teams: the Lakers and the Clippers.  The vote took place during a meeting LeBron James walked out from and he was followed by the rest of the Lakers and the Clippers. Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem was quoted to ask everyone in that meeting: Without the Lakers and the Clippers, how will the season continue? 

Although nothing has been set in stone yet, if LeBron James et al don't want to play, many pundits believe that this vote from both Los Angeles teams may have already ended what was already a crazy postseason that has been played at a neutral site. 

Photo is from SBnation.com