On the evening of Friday June 12th the NBA Players Association (NBPA) had a conference call to discuss concerns about restarting the season. Several players led by Brooklyn Nets Point Guard Kyrie Irving ,expressed that due to the current climate in the US that the resumption of the season would distract people from the movement, focused on racial injustice and police brutality. Other players have expressed opposed opinions including Austin Rivers, Houston Rockets Shooting guard. He believes that by having the season resume players cannot only use their money to support causes but also their platform to make their voices heard on a grand stage.
I understand where both parties are coming from Kyrie is saying what’s going is bigger than basketball and people only are paying attention because there is no other option. Austin Rivers is saying you can use sports to broadcast your messages to a bigger audience. Based on history and the comment sections of social media Austin Rivers suggestion is great in theory,but you can see people essentially telling Kyrie shut up and play.
Also the last time a sports star tried to bring awareness to social injustice while playing he was vilified. The biggest fear is that basketball comes back and the cycle continues of social injustice happening. By cycle I mean that a situation occurs then outrage, the seeking of change from the masses for a few weeks then back to everyday life.
It has only been 3 weeks since George Floyd and Breanna Taylor were killed. Many of the protest that brought change lasted longer than a month. At the moment the whole world is talking about social injustice and ways for reform even on sports networks many topics are addressing race. If you bring back the NBA conversations will shift. Sports are a social construct; so just like if you have just one game to watch everyone will tune in. When you have multiple games on simultaneously some will choose to watch the other game and often forget the first game is on. I want the NBA back more than anybody but not if means sacrificing progress towards possible social justice reform.
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