NBA directs teams to prepare for Derek Chauvin verdict, according to ESPN

Posted By: Ashley Smith
April 18, 2021 @ 1:53 pm
Local News

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(NEW YORK) — The NBA has told the team’s to be ready for the verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd this week, including the possibilities of game postponements, sources told ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Closing arguments in the trial are expected to begin on Monday.

Chauvin faces second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of Floyd after he held his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes last May. He has pleaded not guilty.

Last Monday, the NBA postponed the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets game following the police shooting of Daunte Wright in nearby Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

Minnesota is on a four-game, six-day road trip in California and Utah, before returning home on April 26 against the Jazz.

Last August, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted its game against the Orlando Magic after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The NBA postponed playoff games for three days following the shooting.