NBA All-Star weekend was an example of the stark differences between the NBA and NFL in general, but especially social justice issues. Remember, the All-Star Game in Charlotte was postponed two years because of the NBA’s refusal to play there while a controversial House Bill 2 “bathroom bill” was on the books. That pressure helped to get the proposed law changed.
During NBA All-Star media day, LeBron James praised Colin Kaepernick after the former starting quarterback and Eric Reid reached a settlement with the NFL. “I mean, you got a guy who basically lost his job because he wanted to stand for something that was more than just him,” James said.
James went on to say “I stand with Kaep. I kneel with Kaep… I’m happy he won his suit. I hope he got a hell of a lot of money to set his family up for a long time.”
“Winning the suit” that James is referencing is a settlement with the NFL worth a reported $60-80 million, according Mike Freeman.
“I hope that the word of what he did will live on throughout American history but also world history because it’s important for all of us” James said freely as the NBA’s leading vote getter about a former NFL star who likely won’t play another down of football because of his silent protest.
The NBA’s players have been just as progressive on social causes as the NFL’s, the main difference is the amount of cooperation and encouragement they’ve received from ownership. NBA players like James haven’t had to resort to kneeling to garner attention because the league office and owners have been willing to use their platform to shed light on issues that impact the communities their players come from.
No better example of that is the Sacramento Kings, who last year sprung to action when former Toronto Raptors star Vince Carter and then teammate Garrett Temple went to ownership with an idea. Because of it, now, the Kings are not in the news solely for the fact they are close to their first trip to the NBA playoffs in 13 years.
Last year, two Sacramento police officers shot and killed unarmed African-American Stephon Clark in his grandmother’s backyard 20 times when responding to a break in.
Protests erupted, some taking place in front of the Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center. The protests diverted thousands of fans from attending the game that night against the Atlanta Hawks.
After encouragement from Carter that the players would play if the hurt the fans were feeling was addressed, owner Vivek Ranadivé took the mic post-game and said, “What happened was absolutely horrific. We’re going to work really hard to bring everybody together to make the world a better place, starting with our own community.”
Shortly after the Clark incident, Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown was unjustly tasered by police.
The incidents gave Ranadivé a chance to team up with Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry and back up his promise and team up with the Milwaukee Bucks during their yearly trip to Sacramento which happened to fall in Black History Month. What the two franchises came up with is “team up for change” a day long summit in Sacramento and streamed around the world to address social injustice, hoping to serve as a model on how other sports franchises can impact change in their communities.
The event earlier this week included the organizations sharing learnings and best practices, panel discussions, a performance by Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Big Boi of Outkast, forward Harrison Barnes participating in a Q&A session with local youth and the Kings Foundation announcement of $50,000 in scholarship funding to benefit local youth pursuing advanced training in law enforcement and higher education.
Wrapping up Team Up for Change with a postgame Q&A with @hbarnes pic.twitter.com/SdhcEmTlQa
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) February 28, 2019
The Kings have done similar work before this, forming a partnership with a coalition called “Build.Black” to hold clinics, workshops and to form a youth basketball league called “Kings and Queens rise.”
Born in Mumbai, India, Ranadivé came to North America as an immigrant with $50. Now he’s a billionaire with a success story so unlikely he’s featured in literature by Malcolm Gladwell.
Which is exactly what makes him and other NBA owners different from their counterparts in other sports including the NFL. Their stories and life experiences are more varied. They aren’t just old money from generational wealth with no connection to the other segments of society. From that empathy comes effective leadership on social issues.
In the wake of the “team up for change” event I took the chance to pick Ranadivé’s brain about the role sports teams have weighing in on potentially divisive issues and what’s next.
Sportsnet: What is it about the NBA, from Adam Silver, to the owners, to the players that make it one of the more progressive leagues in speaking out on social issues?
Vivek Ranadivé: NBA teams have a unique position and platform within their local communities. That platform comes with a responsibility to bring people together, do good and seek to enhance the lives of those we touch. Adam Silver’s leadership on the tough issues of the day speaks volumes for all of the NBA teams and we are so proud to go out into our communities each day to help enact positive change.
SN: The night of the protest outside the arena in Sacramento, Vince Carter was one of the veteran players that said the players would play the game, if the fans were addressed afterwards. Could you shed light on Vince’s impact on the events of that night and why you felt compelled to speak?
VR: Vince Carter is a highly respected veteran in this league and we are so thankful for his leadership during his time at the Kings. He along with all of our players expressed their support for the community and committed to joining me to speak to the crowd after the game. It was important to acknowledge the pain that our community was facing. When I addressed the fans in the arena, I spoke from the heart to share a message of sympathy, unity and healing.
SN: How did this initiative come about between Kings and Bucks?
VR: Both of our communities, like so many others across the nation, have endured injustices. We decided to come together during Black History Month to host a summit on the intersection between sports, race and the pursuit of more equitable communities. We hope Team Up for Change will serve as a model for how sports teams can address issues of injustice in their respective cities.
SN: Why was it something important for you to be involved in?
VR: We’ve always believed that it is our responsibility to use our platform to make the world a better place – starting with our own community.
SN: What impact can sports have on social causes?
VR: Being an NBA team has provided us a unique and powerful platform to make the world a better place and work in our community. Basketball has the power to bring people together by bridging racial, gender and economic divides. We can be a gathering place for our community where people can have these important and difficult discussions together.
SN: What has been the feedback from the players?
VR: The players have been have been dedicated to bringing our community together from the very beginning. I am proud of the way they have used their NBA platform to enact change in our community.
SN: What’s next? How do you plan to follow up the work being done during “Team Up for Change”?
VR: We’ve made a long-term commitment to supporting our community and working together. We will continue to find innovative ways to use our platform to bring the community together in dialogue and to make our community and world a better place. We also hope that Team Up for Change can serve as a model for how other teams can engage with their communities and bring people together.
