Wednesday August 26th the Milwaukee Bucks declined to leave the locker room for their potential closeout game versus the Orlando Magic in the wake of the unjust shoooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Thus began the impromptu strike of NBA players as the rest of the teams in the playoffs each followed suit. While much can be said about the organization and planning of this strike–players in the league were reportedly surprised by the Bucks actions–it is undeniable that this two day strike made waves.

NBA players are courageously on strike (withholding labor), NOT boycotting (withholding their $ /purchase). The diff is important bc it shows their power as *workers.*

The courage this takes is profound. WNBA organizing in this moment MUST be recognized too. #StrikeForBlackLives https://t.co/QfsJAHLVLx

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 27, 2020

As AOC correctly states, though this was commonly referred to as a boycott in the press and on social media, the players were declining to work and on strike. The same day of the Bucks decision the players met collectively to discuss their plan going forward; an act they would not have been able to do effectively had the players union had not worked with the league to set up a bubble site for their playoffs. While again, the reporting on what was actually said and how it was said in this and subsequent meetings is fuzzy, it is clear the players came together with clear plans for change and request of the league and it’s owners.

The result of these plans and requests:

• “to immediately establish a social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.”
• “In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID.”
• “to create and include advertising spots in each NBA playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity.”

This is on top of the measures they already negotaited with the league prior to the intial restart of play after the season was suspended due to Covid-19. (Though some would call those half measures only) Regardless, the threat of lost revenue was enough to make the owners of this league go futher than they would have. More than just lip service. Never did I think Houston Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta would be openning up the Toyota Center to assist with voting, yet here we are.

While the Rockets are busy winning a title in the bubble, they said it’s cool if we use their place as a massive, socially distanced Vote Center. I’ll definitely be voting at @ToyotaCenter this year. Hope to see you there. 🚀 https://t.co/2bIrDlZQMt

— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) August 29, 2020

It must also be noted that the goal of the Bucks initial strike was to persuade the Wisconsin state legislature to reconvene and meet on bills addressing police reform. They seem to be as reactive as many state legislatures as they’re openning a session on Monday but no guarantees further than that. Regardless, the nation is now watching to see how they respond.

Look, I don’t know if this will end up as a shining example of a labor strike or the go to method going forward for players unions but Wednesday when they declined to play most arenas were going to left empty during the election and now as the players return to play this weekend, thousands will have the opportunity to vote socially distanced in NBA arenas.