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Brooklyn Nets guard spencer dinwiddie drew ire from social media once he revealed the word of choice that he would like to replace his last name on the back of his jersey once the NBA 2019-20 season returns. The NBA and NBPA are discussing the possibility of having players highlight social justice causes on their jerseys in Orlando.
Dinwiddie enlightened his followers on Sunday night, only to wake up to a rampage of comments questioning his choice:
If you’re wondering what I’m gonna put on the back of my jersey it’ll be “Trillion”.
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) June 29, 2020
Many were left puzzled at the idea, considering his Nets teammate Kyrie Irving had gone out on a limb to protest a return to play in Orlando, citing the optics of playing amid a time of civil unrest.
Dinwiddie explained his reasoning for using “Trillion” to call attention to the United States’ outstanding global debt:
Woke up at 4am to see that I’m getting lit up in the comments for talking about the Global Debt. Comments ranging from massive amounts of debt are good (which I disagree with), to its not personal debt (obviously), to its a waste of a platform, amongst others
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) June 29, 2020
The Nets guard, like Irving, has been known to be a freethinker and one with plenty of brilliant ideas. He kickstarted his own movement to turn his new NBA contract into a mobile investment coin — an idea that would get his fans involved, which was heavily disputed by the league.
This economic-heavy approach tackles the root of the problem, going way beyond racism and hatred and pressing the knife on macroeconomics:
In my opinion like it or not, change for us comes down to Group economics. Rethinking how we approach finances. Acquiring hard assets. Recycling dollars etc. Til then the slow burn of marches/protests will produce progress but will still yield similar results. (Lynchings in 2020)
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) June 29, 2020
Many have hinted at doing variations of the Black Lives Matter movement slogan on their jersey or using Defund The Police as a way to bring attention to issues of police brutality:
If America only responds hastily to violence and money I think there is a very clear option that some of the most visible ethnic people around the globe can have an impact on.
Or I could just say fuck the police, y’all get a quick laugh and go on about your day.
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) June 29, 2020
Dinwiddie’s idea goes way beyond a catchy slogan, instead asking to reinvent the system from the ground up, a task that will take a lot more than protests. To uproot the American economic system, it will take many years to get right, but none of it can start until people of all ages start to vote and demand the change they want to take place within their own communities.