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An inevitability in light of George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis police and the protests that followed has been debated for months. On Thursday, it came true: The New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, the first two teams to speak with the NBA season restart, knelt during the national anthem as a form of silent protest against racial inequality in this country. They were joined by their coaches and game officials.
Players wore T-shirts that said Black Lives Matter like Jon Batiste’s prerecorded anthem played on video screens in Orlando. The hymn did not include lyrics. The coaches carried messages of social justice at their poles.
The Lakers and Clippers did the same thing in their game.
Pelicans released a statement after the hymn about their commitment to social justice.
“The New Orleans Pelicans uphold the ideals of freedom of expression and the right to protest peacefully. Collectively with the Utah Jazz, our organization joins the NBA to support our players and coaches. To promote meaningful change regarding the Social Justice and Racial Equality, The New Orleans Pelicans have partnered with our players, staff and coaches to create a Social Justice Leadership Alliance committed to promoting discussion, listening and learning, and taking action to bring about positive change in our community and our country. “
The Jazz released a similar statement focused on its organizational belief in allowing players to express themselves.
“The Utah Jazz are committed to advancing social justice and supporting players, coaches and staff as they exercise their First Amendment rights, and use their voices, their experiences and their platforms to express themselves peacefully. We are values- based on the organization and believes in the fundamental principles of justice, equality, equity and economic empowerment. Our organization strives to be a unifying force in our communities, and we hope that this time in our history it can be a catalyst for positive change in a country love.”
No player knelt for the anthem in 2017 when the phenomenon was at its peak in the NFL. The NBA technically has a rule in its books that prohibits players from kneeling before the national anthem. However, Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that he will not enforce that rule, due to the unique circumstances surrounding this game and this moment in history. “I respect the unified act of peaceful protest by our teams for social justice and, in these unique circumstances, I will not enforce our old rule that requires us to remain during the execution of our national anthem,” said Silver, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Players across the league have taken up the cause of fighting for social justice in the United States. The NBA has taken steps to help them do this, such as allowing them to wear approved social justice messages on the back of their shirts. But the fact is that there were players who were not comfortable with the idea of returning to the court in light of the movement that has swept the nation. Playing, some argued, would distract the movement. Even after the union agreed to restart the season, many of those players fight for more diversity at the highest levels of leadership in basketball.
Those efforts are still in their early stages, but many of the players who ultimately decided to end the season in Orlando did so with the idea that the stage basketball offers would give them an opportunity to raise awareness of these issues. The prominence of the words “Black Lives Matter”, both on the court and in other warm-up jerseys, helps those efforts. Just like kneeling down. Thursday’s actions will only be the beginning as players will try to make the most of the platform they have in Orlando.
