The NBA play-offs will resume on Saturday after the league and players’ organisation came to an agreement.
A series of major sporting fixtures in the United States have been postponed since Wednesday after NBA stars went on strike in protest at the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last week.
The players will resume the play-offs this weekend after the league agreed to requests to support social justice and racial equality.
A joint statement from the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said: “We had a candid, impassioned and productive conversation yesterday between NBA coaches, players and team governors regarding next steps to further our collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality.
“All parties agreed to resume NBA play-off games on Saturday August 29.”
The statement outlined a commitment “to immediately establish a social justice coalition” where representatives of players, coaches and governors would look at issues including “voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.”
The league also vowed to “work with the players and our network partners to create and include advertising spots in each NBA play-off game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections” as well as aiming to set up an NBA Foundation focused on “economic empowerment in the black community.”
The statement concluded: “We look forward to the resumption of the playoffs and continuing to work together – in Orlando and in all NBA team markets – to push for meaningful and sustainable change.”