The NBA will continue its efforts to encourage Americans to vote on the Nov. 3 election—this time, via a message on warm-up shirts the players will wear for the rest of the postseason in the bubble.
“As the 2020 NBA Conference Finals tip off today, NBA players will debut new warm-up shirts displaying ‘VOTE’ on the front,” the league announced on its official website on Tuesday. “Created in partnership with the NBA and NBPA, each team will wear the warm-ups in their team colors for the remainder of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and 2020 NBA Finals.”
The announcement added that the league and players association remain “committed to taking leaguewide action in support of non-partisan efforts to expand voting access.”
In addition to the shirts, messages promoting civic engagement, voting awareness and access, and participation in local and national elections will be prevalent in TV broadcasts and other signage.
Advocacy for greater voting access was among the initiatives the NBA and NBPA announced in the wake of the Milwaukee Bucks wildcat strike on Aug. 26. The league and players union also committed to a creation of a social justice coalition that included players, coaches, and owners.
According to the league, 20 teams have so far committed to allowing their home arenas and/or team facilities to be used as polling sites for upcoming elections and other civic engagement activities. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers—who will begin the Western Conference Finals on Friday—formed a voting rights group, More Than a Vote, which is helping spearhead the movement to encourage voter turnout and convert sports venues into polling sites.
Follow Us
Subscribe