The Toronto Raptors arrived in the bubble location in Disney World on Thursday with their minds are set at defending their title. But this doesn't mean that they have forgotten about the more important things outside the sport.
The Raptors arrived in Disney World with the phrase “Black Lives Matter” written on their two team buses. The phrase has been the battle cry for the spate of demonstrations all over the US against racial discrimination.
Silence is not an option. pic.twitter.com/qpn8sMo2nu
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 9, 2020
Apart from the buses, several players were spotted donning statement shirts as well. From the looks of it, the shirts come in different styles and variants.
Moment: En Route
Open Gym presented by @bell pic.twitter.com/mm4Uvy1h8h
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 9, 2020
The NBA will allow its players to wear statement jerseys in the NBA season restart. The league has come up with a list of words and phrases that players can use to replace their names with on their jerseys. Some of the words include “Equality,” “Freedom,” and “Vote.” In addition, the league will paint “Black Lives Matter” on the sidelines of all three courts it will use. The Raptors actually have been conducting practices of late wearing BLM statement shirts.
Upon the announcement that the NBA intends to resume the 2019-20 season on July 30, not all players agreed with the move. The likes of Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard, and Avery Bradley said that the sport might serve as a distraction from the sociopolitical issues currently hounding the US.
However, the league seems to have heard their concerns. Adam Silver and crew know how large of a platform the NBA has. The 2019-20 season has to have a proper closure. But at the same time, the league must use its voice in an effort to affect change. And the Raptors are keen on defending injustice as much as their championship.
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