These last 48 hours have been emotional for those playing in the NBA right now. It all started when George Hill of the Milwaukee Bucks urged his team to boycott their game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Bucks ultimately chose to go through with this boycott which led to a ripple effect. Every team playing that day opted to sit out and a massive meeting ensued, to discuss if the league should move forward with the season.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, tempers flared throughout the meeting with Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat leading the way. As Haynes recounts, Haslem pressed Hill about making his decision without giving any of the other teams a warning. He also demanded LeBron give an answer as to whether or not he would want to keep playing. This led to a dramatic walkout that had the potential to end the season.
Per Haynes:
"With emotions all over the place, Haslem pressed James and asked the star what he planned to do, reminding him that he’s the face of the league and it goes as he goes, sources said.
James then said, “We’re out,” and walked out with almost all of his teammates following behind, sources said, with Dwight Howard being the only Laker who remained."
Eventually, the Lakers and Clippers changed their minds and decided to play, with Thursday morning's meeting becoming a lot more productive. Regardless, it was a contentious time for all parties.