Several NBA organizations have stepped forward to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement, condemn police brutality and fight racism in the wake of recent events. The Washington Wizards did so loudly on Sunday, releasing a statement by giving their players a voice and a platform to speak on the matter:
A united statement from our players. pic.twitter.com/SGKSDw76zU
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) June 1, 2020
Roughly 75% of players in the NBA are African American and can relate to the years of suffering through systematic racism and abuse of power — something that still chases them well into their careers as star athletes of a sport.
While CEOs, team presidents and other executives have reacted to the murder of George Floyd and the consequent derivates of those actions, the Wizards took a different approach — allowing those affected to speak for the organization as a whole.
This perhaps lends even more power to the movement by letting those who have been silenced talk and protest after centuries of systematic oppression.
The modern NBA has handled social injustice and police brutality matters beautifully throughout the years, thanks to socially-conscious stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who paved the way for athletes' voices to be heard.
Those players are reaping those benefits now and putting their voice to work. Some like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Karl Anthony-Towns took part on public protests, while others made use of their platform to call for awareness and donated funds to organizations in need.
The Wizards will no longer “shut up and dribble,” and that speaks volumes for a franchise this close to the White House, a place where those cries should be heard.
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