The NBA, at long last, is returning on July 30th in Orlando, Florida with 22 out of 30 teams slated to play a small slate of remaining regular season games along with the playoffs. During the return to action, the NBA announced that players would be able to change the names on the back of their jerseys to represent the Black Lives Matter movement. Austin Rivers of the Houston Rockets announced recently that he would change the name on the back of his jersey to “Trayvon” in order to remember and honor the memory of Trayvon Martin, who was murdered only 25 minutes away from Orlando – which also happens to be where Rivers is from.
Rivers’s full statement comes via an Instagram story:
“I appreciate the NBA giving us an opportunity to change our last names on our jerseys. Small things like this can matter and go a long way. But options are really limited… I’m from Orlando… 25 min away from where Trayvon Martin was innocently shot and murdered. Till this day that anger and pain from that senseless hate crime still resonates in our country… but especially in my home city of Orlando. Would love to honor him and his family and help keep his name alive and strong. I want Trayvon on my back as I head to go lace ‘em up in Orlando!! Would mean a little something to all the people down there, especially his family and friends. He’s gone but never forgotten. All little things matter in this fight for BLM.”
The movement has seen widespread protesting of the prejudicial treatment of the black community by police officers.
A strong, powerful statement and a good gesture from the eight-year veteran — who is hoping to bring a championship to Houston for the first time since the mid-90s.
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