On a November 16 visit to the Harvard Kennedy School, Draymond Green, star forward for the NBA defending champions the Golden State Warriors, delivered a talk aptly titled “Athletes as Leaders.” Beforehand, some online criticized HKS for extending an invitation to Green, a professional athlete, to speak about political issues, a topic they claimed he was on unqualified to speak about. An audience member asked Green about the increasingly common sentiment that athletes should “stick to sports,” a feeling that has gained traction after the surge of NBA players commenting on the 2016 election. “That’s funny,” Green said, “I see everyone thinks they can speak basketball.”
The NBA has never tried to stay out of political discuourse, but only recently has political engagement been accepted, if not openly encouraged. This change can be attributed to the demographics of the NBA’s audience and the makeup of the NBA itself.
The NBA has always been diverse and attracted a diverse viewership. In 1996, however, nearly 20 years before similar protests began in the NFL, Mahmound Abdul-Rauf refused to stand during the national anthem before his NBA games. He told a reporter that the American flag “is a symbol of oppression—I don’t think you can argue with the facts.” Days after his comments, Abdul-Rauf was suspended from the NBA and forced to pay a fine of $31,107 per game. NBA leadership, facing declining viewership and reduced sponsorships after Michael Jordan’s retirement, declared that political expression would not be tolerated.
In the years since, however, the NBA has embraced political expression not just from its players, but from coaches, team owners, and even league officials. Today, the NBA has the distinction of being the first American sports league to have an athlete come out as gay —Jason Collins in 2014—and the league with the most non-white coaches. In 2014, league players wore solid black shirts with the bolded words “I CAN’T BREATHE” during warmups, referencing the death of Eric Garner. Within the last year alone, the NBA has reacted with increasing frustration to actions by Donald Trump: The Golden State Warriors refused to visit the White House after their championship win, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards called Trump “a clown,” and LeBron James, the undisputed “King” of the NBA, called the president a “bum.” Coach David Fizdale of the Memphis Grizzlies gave a lengthy interview in which he lambasted Trump for events in Charlottesville, North Korea, and a general “disrespect [for] our military.” Coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs spent almost seven minutes at Media Day, usually devoted to issues about the team and events around the NBA, to speak out against Trump, calling him a “soulless coward.” Furthermore, teams from the Nuggets to the Miami Heat have planned to form a player committee to formulate collective ideas for periodic political expression throughout the season. Even the parents of NBA players, like LaVar Ball—father of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball—have joined in. And Trump has noticed, responding to NBA affiliates comments both privately and publicly. So what changed? The NBA finally recognized and took into account their internal demographics and the demographics of their viewership.
The NBA has always skewed to audiences based in cities and coastal areas—traditionally liberal, diverse, and Democratic territory. The NBA is also the blackest major professional sports league in the world, in addition to the poor or disadvantaged background of many of the athletes. In recent years, the NBA front office has further embraced its reputation as a “liberal” sports league. It has increased its international profile so as to attract more foreign players and fans, issued comments against government policies that might harm the NBA’s perceived self interests, and even built a float for New York’s Pride Parade, which NBA commissioner Adam Silver rode front and center. To many athletes, speaking out against perceived injustices seems required of their positions as role models.
LeBron James was raised by a single mother who was 16 at the time of his birth. He moved from apartment to apartment in rundown Akron, Ohio. Today, James is admired by millions of children around the world, some growing up in situations similar to his own. Although the percentage of NBA players who grew up disadvantaged has since declined from the league’s time as hope for “inner-city dreamers,” the NBA is still the most diverse professional league in America, with 34 percent of the league’s black athletes growing up in below-average-income households. Almost every player in the league today, regardless of their background acknowledges that their unique position in society carries substantial responsibility.
With continued league support of protest and political commentary, one can expect that the frequency of political commentary from NBA players will only increase in the coming months and years. While NFL players may continue to find support for their political commentary amongst a Conservative-skewed audience, NBA players will no doubt find encouragement to speak out not only amongst other professional players, but also from the league, the media, and young, liberal viewers. It’s fitting; three-fourths of today’s NBA is black, one-fourth is foreign-born, and all come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. While Trump may preach a “forgotten man’s” America, NBA players see themselves as a more accurate representation of the United States: a melting pot of outspoken activists with a duty to speak out against injustice.
Image Source: Draymond Green/Flickr