The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have established The National Basketball Social Justice Coalition to “advance equality and social justice,” they announced in a joint statement Friday.
The coalition will seek to leverage the influence of the league’s platform to raise awareness, educate and enact “meaningful reform” on a variety of social justice topics, including voting access and criminal justice system reform at all levels.
Leaders of the coalition include five NBA governors, five players and two coaches, as well as NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts.
The players on the coalition’s inaugural board are Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), Carmelo Anthony (Trail Blazers), Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves), Avery Bradley (Lakers) and Sterling Brown (Bucks).
Attention to social justice initiatives gained momentum during the NBA restart in Orlando, when players wore messages such as “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe” and “Respect Us” on the backs of their jerseys.
Also while in Orlando, teams were connected with expert speakers, including former first lady Michelle Obama, motivational speaker Eric Thomas and NBA legend and former United States Senator Bill Bradley, to help maintain an emphasis on addressing systemic inequities and creating meaningful change.
During the recent voting period for the U.S. presidential election, 23 of 30 NBA teams committed their arenas and/or practice facilities for voting-related activities — while all 30 were involved in promoting greater civic engagement.
The National Basketball Social Justice Coalition is viewed as a next step in the NBA and NBPA’s ongoing efforts to advance social justice and address racial inequality.
