Portland Trail Blazers forward Trevor Ariza won’t be joining his team when NBA action resumes.
The NBA is set to resume games at the end of July at Disney in Orlando after shutting everything down in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
However, Ariza won’t be with his teammates. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA veteran has committed “to a one-month visitation window with his young son.”
Wojnarowski added that Ariza is currently in a custody battle over his son, and he chose “those parenting responsibilities over competing in restart.”
Portland Trail Blazers forward Trevor Ariza is opting-out of participation in the NBA’s Orlando restart of the season, committing instead to a one-month visitation window with his young son, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2020
Sources: Ariza has been involved in a custody case over his 12-year old son, and mother’s choice of granting a court-ordered one month visitation period during league’s quarantine of teams in Orlando left Ariza to choose those parenting responsibilities over competing in restart. https://t.co/STYQi2RGDW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2020
I’ll knock a lot of guys for a lot of reasons when it comes to sitting out, but you’ll never see me knock anyone for choosing being a parent over their job.
The Trail Blazers aren’t going to win the title anyways. There’s next to no point for Ariza to push it by going to Orlando.
From the sounds of it, this custody battle needs to be his only priority, and that’s exactly what he’s choosing to put first.
We shouldn’t ever criticize someone for choosing their responsibilities as a father above all else.
Props to Ariza for choosing his son over a fruitless trip to Orlando. Again, you’ll see me criticize athletes for a lot, but choosing to be a father over their profession will never be one of them.