NBA: How players are taking a stand against racism

With the issue of racism taking the spotlight recently across America, NBA players have been taking initiative in tackling the issue head-on.

Racism has been an issue since we, as people, learned to develop societies and colonies. It’s become something that, more often than not, causes a stir for everyone alike, regardless of your skin color. It’s an issue that has transformed and made its way into our normal life. Entertainment and pop culture is an example, with instances of racism dating back to the 19th century. However, much of the world of American sports has been a mainstay for anti-racism, and at the forefront has been the NBA.

Regardless of your skin color, creed, gender, sports can bring people together, as cliche as it may sound. But it’s the leap into the outer-world, where athletes begin to address racism.

In the NFL, Colin Kaepernick began the controversial trend of kneeling during the national anthem, to support the Black Lives Matter movement. It instantly split fans, some called him disrespectful, some called him a civil rights hero. It made news headlines and spread into other sports.

Apart from the NFL, the NBA has become another prominent figure in tackling racism.

During the month of December in 2014, several NBA players wore a black t-shirt with the words ‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ on the front, during their warm-ups. This was a subtle, yet brilliant example of a protest against racism, specifically police brutality. The words “I can’t breathe” were the last to be muttered by Eric Garner, an African-American man who was choked to death by a police officer in July that year. This protest is the perfect example of a demonstration against racism, by athletes.

However, there is a huge contrast between the NFL and the NBA in terms of these things. That national anthem situation left a huge mark on the NFL’s lasting impact. The NBA however, hasn’t had a huge protest that has lead to controversy. But there have been some instances that have stated otherwise.

Prior to the ‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ protest, NBA players took a stand against former LA Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, who was revealed to have said several racist remarks during his tenure as the Clippers owner after some of these comments were recorded.

This caused an absolute uproar in the NBA, leading to players, and fans alike, calling for immediate justice. After the accusations, NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, handed down a lifetime ban towards Sterling. Following this, Clippers players began shifting their warmup tees inside out, to silently protest against Sterling.

But the most recent occurrence of NBA players taking a stand against racism comes as recent as this past week. With the death of George Floyd, protests have erupted around the United States against racism, most importantly, police brutality against African-American people. NBA players have been right on top of it, using their platform to stand against racial discrimination.

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown led a peaceful protest in the city of Atlanta, calling for justice for the death of Floyd. He was joined by Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and famous rapper Lil Yachty.

In an earlier instance, former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who was a close friend to Floyd, addressed media regarding the unwarranted passing of his friend. Jackson was joined by Timberwolves center, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Timberwolves guard, Josh Okogie, as well as a famous actor, Jamie Foxx.

On social media platforms, NBA players are using their accounts to call for action against racial discrimination, including LeBron James, who spoke on the matter in an Instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAq3fpCgyve/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

These recent events have shown how loyal NBA players can be to the issue of racism in the United States, specifically in respect for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Regardless of their political agenda and wishes, these athletes have done everyone a service and used their platform to protest their views. Using their popularity, these athletes have taken a stand against unlawful racial discrimination, without breaking the borders and receiving backlash. Even small instances of silent protest have impacted the issue of racism in America.

These NBA players who we admire and love, have given meaning to the motto ‘Sports bring people together’, refusing to give up their support for their beliefs against racism. It’s these silent protests, that have completely furthered the community mission of the NBA Cares program. NBA players have gone out of their way to protest a crucial matter, without showing disrespect to their fellow peers. In such a needing time, these athletes are showing their true colors and sportsmanship.

In fact, the players are doing just as much as the league, to make sports a diverse community. These players, from any sports league, are singlehandedly working to bring society together regardless of color and creed.