The NBA postponed Saturday’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors after a federal agent shot an armed man who was interfering with law enforcement activities in Minneapolis.
“The National Basketball Association game scheduled for today between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed,” the NBA said in a statement Saturday. “The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.”
While the NBA claims to have prioritized the “safety and security” of the people of Minneapolis. The NHL faced the same reality in the aftermath of the shooting and did the opposite, by having the Minnesota Wild play their scheduled matchup against the Florida Panthers.
As of this writing, the game is in the third period, with no reported security incidents.
The NBA’s decision to postpone the game stands in contrast to how they handled the previous shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis. After an anti-ICE protester, Renee Good, was shot and killed earlier this month as she struck an agent with her vehicle. The NBA held a moment of silence for Good, but did not cancel the game.
It’s unclear why the league believes holding the game now would pose a public safety threat, but it did not feel that way earlier this month.
The armed man shot by ICE has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
